A Scar of the Puppet
by Kagaminelover657
Summary: After losing contact with her elder sister going to a graduate school in Tokyo, Xion travels there to check up on her. What she discovers however is that no one seems to know who her sister is, yet the lab her sister studies at are hiding something which could be connected to her disappearance. Xion decides to investigate this lab, unaware of the dangers of discovering the truth...
1. Chapter 1: Finding my Sister

**So, here I am with a new story involving a crossover between Kingdom Hearts and A Scar of the Doll. **

**Thanks to a recommendation from a Namine RPer on Facebook, I decided to have a go of A Scar of the Doll. It's an IPhone app available for IPhone, IPod and even IPad. So I decided to have a bit of a go at it. I died quite a few times... XD But it really is a good game. I managed to reach the end of it. The plot is really interesting, and the story really got me hooked. And the fact you have to make decisions in order to try to prevent the character's death was quite impressive. The only problem with it was the fact that the Japanese translation to English hadn't been done well. Other than that though, it is a good game. I recommend you get it off the app store when you get the chance. It's free, so... XD**

**But because of this game, I got inspired to write this fanfic. I noticed there were so many similarities between some of the characters and Kingdom Hearts that this could work well. So, with the same Namine RPer, we did a debate as to who should be who before I started writing the first chapter. Now, for those who have already played this app, all the Kingdom Hearts characters have been picked for either their similarities to events in the game, their personality, or because their role in the game matches with a character from A Scar of the Doll. I can't reveal why for spoiler reasons.**

**Oh and also, if you have already played this app, please don't reveal spoilers in the reviews. I don't want the story ruined for people. **

**But anyway, I hope you enjoy the first chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or A Scar of the Doll. **

* * *

Chapter 1: Finding my Sister

_December 18__th__, Early Morning…_

"Thank you for calling, please leave a message"

A loud beep sounded soon after. The answering machine again? Why won't you pick up?

With the phone to my ear I slowly paced around the room I was in, pondering on what message I could leave.

"Hello sister! Am I calling the right number? If I'm wrong, I apologise. If you hear this message, please call me back. The phone number is-"

I said the phone number before continuing.

"I think I'm calling my sister. Just in case you're confused. But sister, if it is you, please respond soon. I'm… worried…"

I cut off the call and placed the phone back onto the receiver, sighing. I left a meaningless message. But maybe my sister changed her phone number. That's probably why she hasn't called back in a while, right?

I continued to stand by the phone in silence, messing with a piece of my black hair between my index finger and thumb that only came up to the top of my shoulder. I wonder how many messages I left on my sister's phone. And I wonder if she's even heard any of them…

Maybe she was listening to me over the phone and is currently laughing at me for my stupidness. Then again, why would she do that? My sister and I were always so close…

The last time I remember talking to her was back in September. I haven't heard from her since. My sister is a year older than me. As I said before, we were always so close, especially as children. Since we both were raised by a single parent, our Father, that obviously explains why. My Father worked abroad often. He was rarely ever home. So my sister is very special to me. She was the one who always took care of me, and looked after me when I needed her.

My sister goes to a graduate school in Tokyo for specially gifted and talented students under the age of 18. The last time I called her, we really didn't talk about anything important. It was just about how she was getting along with her studies, how she was settling in, and those kinds of things. I haven't heard from her since then. I think she may have disappeared…

It has been a theory for a while now. At first I doubted it was a problem and that she was fine. I thought she might have been too busy with her studies to get back to me. But it has been 3 months since we last spoke. I would have thought she'd have left me a message, letting me know she was ok. I am no longer sure what has become of her. I can't sleep. I can't eat. I'm too paranoid.

Thinking about this realistically, I've decided that there is only one thing that I can do. I promised myself I'd wait until she replied today, but now my nerves are getting the better of me. I have decided that I shall travel to Tokyo and find out what has happened to my sister, or at least see if anything _has _happened to her. I planned on going tomorrow, but I can't wait anymore. Time is of the essence, and I'm really worried for her safety. I plan on packing soon. But first I have to find my sister's apartment address, along with her school one.

Moving away from the phone I carefully headed into the kitchen. I know it's around here somewhere…

Then I remembered that it was on the table. I spotted a small memo which had an address written on it. This is it.

I checked it for my sister's school address, along with her apartment address too.

Ah yes, I remember now. She goes to the Teito Institute of Technology or TIT for short. I'm sure this is where my sister researches. Yes, she's here. She studies at Mikozuka Lab. Her apartment address is 6-chrome Hongou, Bunkyo-ko Tokyo.

Ok, so I have her address sorted out. What else? Oh! Yes!

I looked in the cupboard near the fridge, and after some rummaging around I found a small silver key. This is the spare key to her apartment. For some reason she left it with me, you know in case I ever wanted to come and visit her and she wasn't there. I was currently the only one at home right now. My Father is away on business, as usual. No one would miss me if I ended up staying there a couple of days, right?

She did ask me if I wanted to go with her to Tokyo. She didn't want me to stay here on my own. I can remember that. I really wonder why I didn't agree to go with her…

I guess I shouldn't be dwelling on that now. I need to get ready now that I have what I need.

I spent the next two hours packing any necessities I might need, such as clothing. I don't know how long I could be there for. And depending on whether my sister is ok or not, it's hard to estimate when I could be back.

* * *

Once I had finished packing my clothes away into a small rucksack, also putting in the memo, some money and my sister's apartment key, I glanced back at the empty house one last time as I put the bag over my shoulder. I honestly hope that I can return here soon. I just have to know what has happened to my sister. I'm sure she's fine, but I need to ease my paranoia.

I turned to leave; however, I paused in my tracks. I felt like someone was watching me. I stayed stood like that for a moment longer. It felt like a pair of eyes was boring through my back. I felt a nasty chill run down my spine.

I quickly swirled around. It was the same as before. Empty. Is my mind playing tricks on me? My eyes however fell upon a familiar item on the coffee table. It was a piece of A4 paper, and on it was a picture of a teddy bear holding a red and green wrapped Christmas present.

I remember that picture. My sister drew that for me. On the night of Christmas Eve she left that on my bedside table as a gift. I slowly walked back over to the coffee table and picked up the drawing, staring at it carefully with my curious blue eyes. I really didn't want to leave it here. This drawing is very precious to me. There's no harm in taking this with me, right?

As I put the drawing into my bag, memories of my sister began to arise. I felt my chest tighten. I'm sure that I have to find my sister by myself. There's no one else around here who could help me. We don't have any other family friends or relatives who might know where she's got to. And it's best that I don't worry Father any more than he already is with work related problems. This is something I must do alone.

I took one last look at the house before slowly walking out the door.

If only I had known, that the week ahead of me would change my perspective of myself and the world around me…

* * *

"_Even for you, what you might think may not be what it seems…"_

* * *

And so, on the same day, I took the bullet train that was heading towards Tokyo. The whole way there I was sat in my seat, silently staring out the window at the passing scenery. All my thoughts were focused on my sister.

(Sister… 3 years ago you went off to Tokyo like this too, didn't you? I can remember how happy you were when you found out you were going to be researching in the lab you wanted to go to. I hope you are ok…)

The journey felt like it had flown by. The entire time I was continually recalling memories of my sister and I and what we used to do. They were little things, but to me they had been special. We always used to play outside until it was dark. We used to fight over what we wanted to watch on the TV sometimes. We used to draw together and had moments filled with endless laughter. I was missing her too much. I just wanted to see her. I wanted to see that she was ok. And then my mind could be put at ease…

I finally felt the train slow down. It was stopping at Tokyo station. I watched curiously from inside the train as it moved in between the disorderly stacked buildings, before finally arriving. I quietly followed behind everyone else as we exited the train and tried to navigate my way through the building.

* * *

I got a little lost at first, considering I had never been to Tokyo before, but I eventually managed to find the exit out of the station. As I expected, the area outside was very crowded and busy. There were business men and women running backwards and forwards, talking on their phones or running to get to work. They all seemed to be in a hurry. There were very few people who stood out from the crowd. There was the occasional teenager or child or even a young mother or elderly couple, but other than that all I could see were working people. I didn't know where to start or what to do next.

And that was when my eyes widened towards the back of someone just passing in front of me as I was about to walk away from the station. It was a young girl who appeared to be a year older than me. She had straight blonde hair that came down to the bottom of her shoulders. She appeared to be wearing a light peach coloured jumper, a light blue skirt that came down to her knees, long dark blue socks and black shoes with straps on them. She seemed really familiar. She was someone I knew. I was sure of it.

(Could it be… my sister?)

Without thinking, I found myself quickly dashing after her into the crowd of bustling people. I couldn't let her get away and disappear in the crowd. She must be my sister!

"U-Uh… Excuse me!"

I called out to the girl, hoping that she would hear me and stop. Luckily she did. I was relieved about that. However, I halted in front of her sharply the minute she turned around.

She had a pale coloured face that contrasted with her bright blue eyes. I could see now that underneath her jumper, there was the top of a white and blue tie along with a white shirt that was short sleeved. Her jumper sleeves had been rolled up to her elbows, and she held a sketchbook tightly to her chest. She also had a light brown shoulder bag hooked over her left shoulder.

The girl tilted her head to the side a little out of confusion.

"Is there anything wrong…?"

I looked down out of embarrassment.

"Ah, s-s-sorry. My mistake. I thought you were someone I knew…"

The girl merely nodded in understanding before quickly walking away. I stood there dumbly for a moment longer. How was I supposed to find my sister in a place like this? This is impossible. Am I being too hasty?

But I don't understand. There are so many people here. So why was she the one who caught my attention the most? I know most of the people walking around are older and are in business suits, but that doesn't really mean anything, does it? Why do I feel anxious about the girl who just left?

I sighed heavily as I continued walking away from the station. It was too noisy. I needed somewhere quiet to think. Where is my sister now? By common knowledge, she should be at her apartment. Or she could be at Mikozuka lab. I have the spare key anyway, so if my sister isn't there I can still enter her room. And I know what her lab is called. Mikozuka might be a representative of the lab, or a professor's name.

Maybe my sister is busy with her experiments in the lab. That's why she can't come home. I remember her mentioning to me over the phone that she sometimes had to stay until night to complete research and such. The University might close early. I should go to my sister's lab first then, just to check. I can go to her apartment after if she isn't at the lab.

I managed to navigate my way from Tokyo station, and took the subway. After passing three stations, I finally decided to get off. Due to the signs I had come across, I knew the University was only a bit further by foot.

* * *

After a lot of walking, I finally arrived at Teito Institute of Technology. The University had a bigger campus than I actually imagined. There were people who looked 4-6 years older than me. That was to be expected. This was the part of the University where normal graduates go. It's winter break, so there don't appear to be many students walking around the campus. How am I supposed to find Mikozuka lab in a place as huge as this? It seems I had definitely underestimated how long this was going to take… I guess the only thing I can do is have a wander around.

I decided to do the wise thing and ask someone on the campus. A messy haired male student passed by me. I decided to ask him. He was the closest.

"E-Excuse me! Can you tell me where Mikozuka lab is?"

The boy only gave me a weird look before continuing on. Well, how rude. I suppose I shouldn't bother trying to get anymore answers out of him…

I continued walking around for a while, asking students if they knew anything about Mikozuka lab. Most of the people I asked either gave me weird looks, ignored me, or just told me to bog off like the stupid little kid I am. Doesn't anybody here have any manners?!

Then finally I came across a girl with dark brown hair who appeared to be reading by the fountain. I wasn't prepared to give up just yet, so I bravely approached her. My hand held tightly onto the strap of my bag as I got closer.

"E-Excuse me…"

The girl slowly looked up from her book and glanced at me with curiosity and confusion.

"… Yes, how can I help you?"

"Do you know where "Mikozuka lab" is at this University?"

"Mikozuka lab?"

Her expression appeared to be surprised, but she no longer looked confused. I have a feeling she might think I'm a student who was going there. After a moment of silence the girl replied.

"It's not that hard to find. It's just outside the campus"

Outside the campus?

"What? Even though it belongs to Teito Institute of Technology?"

The girl slowly nodded.

"Yep. It does belong to the University, but since Mikozuka lab is only for gifted and talented students under the age of 18, it's considered special. That's why it's independent from the University"

The girl lifted a hand from her book, pointing towards the road leading away from the University.

"If you walk west from here, and then turn right down the first narrow alleyway you come across, you'll see the lab just ahead"

I gave the girl a relieved smile.

"Finally I can go to see my sister! Thank you so much!"

The girl nodded in response, giving me a small smile.

"You're welcome. I'm glad I could help!"

I finally departed from the campus and made my way in the direction the student had instructed me. The road was very silent. This seemed to put me on edge a little, but I took no heed of it. I was getting further and further away from the University now.

I turned down the first alleyway to my right and continued walking. When I got about halfway down the alleyway, I stopped suddenly. Nobody was in this alleyway but me. So why can I hear footsteps? They were coming from behind me.

"That's strange…"

I had muttered that sentence on purpose. I wanted them to know I was suspicious of something so they would reveal themselves.

After a while of waiting when I didn't get a reaction, I quickly turned around. There was no one there. The situation had made my body tense up from nerves. I was surrounded by a gruesome silence. It's no wonder I'm nervous!

I pushed these thoughts to the back of my mind and continued down the alleyway as fast as possible. The faster I get out of this alley, the sooner I can see my sister.

* * *

Just as I turned the corner, I stared in awe towards the large white building before me. This was Mikozuka lab. I could tell from the way the building looked that it resembled more of a research centre than a laboratory. The building was surrounded by a tall wall, and I could see the gatekeeper by the gate.

(So this is the lab? It looks amazing. I wish I studied here now! Sister, you are so lucky!)

I walked through the front entrance normally. The gatekeeper didn't take any notice of me at all as I passed through. I found this kind of strange, but said nothing. I slowly made my way towards the entrance. Was my sister really here?

I felt a nasty tingle run down my spine. There is only one way to find that out. I have to go inside. With trembling hands, I quietly and calmly walked through the doors.

* * *

I looked around carefully at the golden brown floors and bright white walls. I was impressed. The floor had been cleaned so well that I could see my reflection in it. Since I'm a visitor, the wise thing for me to do would be to go straight to the office.

After following the signs from the entrance, I continued along the corridor I was in until I came to the office. Sat on the other side of the glass window was one male staff member. He was a man in his late twenties that had black hair with white streaks on top of his head, and a long ponytail that trailed down his back. His eyes were a bright yellow, and seemed to frighten me for some reason. He was wearing a black eye patch over his right eye. He also wore a black business suit, with a matching tie and white shirt.

He appeared to be looking through a group of files on his desk, trying to sort them out. I could see he was muttering to himself. I glanced at the name tag on his jacket. It said "Xigbar". I gently tapped my fist against the glass in order to get his attention. The man, who I now know is named Xigbar, slowly lifted his head up from his work. He leaned back in his chair slightly.

"Can I help you?"

"Y-Yes… Um… My name is Xion Kamijo. My sister is a student here. I'm here to visit her today"

Xigbar gave me a weird look. He sat forward a bit.

"Wait a second. What did you say your surname was?"

"Kamijo"

"Your sister has the same surname, am I right? Just confirming"

"Yes, of course"

I was getting a bit annoyed with this man. Doesn't he know the students here? He _does_ work here.

"I'm sorry kiddo, but from what I can recall, there is no student here under the surname Kamijo"

Wait, what?! I'm confused.

"A-Are you kidding?"

"Sadly I'm not. There is no one here under the surname Kamijo. There are only seven students in Mikozuka lab, but none have that name. Maybe you've got the wrong lab"

"No! That can't be true! I'm certain I was told my sister came to Mikozuka lab! If you look carefully, she should be here!"

Xigbar shook his head defiantly.

"That isn't true, I'm afraid. I know every student here. I'm not making a mistake kid. Maybe your sister graduated and forgot to tell you or something"

It was my turn to shake my head now.

"No, she is in her first year of the doctor's course!"

I had remembered her stating that over the phone. Xigbar sighed heavily and leaned back in his chair again, putting his hands behind his head.

"Look kiddo, whatever you've been told, it's wrong. Your sister does not go to this lab"

I could only fall silent at that and stare at Xigbar in disbelief. This is strange. I wasn't expecting this. This man seems to be too lazy to help me. I think he might be lying. Actually, that would also be strange…

"Are you sure you don't think your sister goes to another lab?"

"No. I'm sure it's Mikozuka lab. That is what she told me"

"I'm afraid I can't help you then"

Yes. I _really_ didn't expect this. My sister _isn't_ a student of this lab?! Then that means… she's lied to me.

I cut my thoughts short there and then. I have only spoken to one staff member. I must find someone else. There has to be a Professor around here somewhere who is in charge of all the students and the lab itself. Even if the staff don't know, surely a teacher would know about my sister.

I moved away from the office then and walked towards a nearby board that displayed a map of the area. So the Professor's and Assistant Professor's rooms are on the second floor. The students' rooms appear to be on the third floor. Hm… Maybe I should try the students' rooms first. I may have a chance of finding my sister there.

I went into the elevator, and made sure it took me to the right floor. I could feel myself getting more and more nervous the longer it took the elevator to go up. Xigbar's words were getting to my head more than I thought. I'm sure it's just a mistake, right? I know my sister is here! She wouldn't lie to me!

I carefully made my way out of the elevator when I heard the ding sound and the doors opened. I walked down the corridor until I came across a wooden door with a tinted glass window. I couldn't see through to the other side properly. I gripped the handle tightly with one hand and tried to yank it open. The door was locked. I glanced to the left side of the door to find a device to enter a key number for the PIN to unlock it.

Even if my sister isn't here, I can still ask other students about her. I just need to get the PIN number right… Maybe if I try a few random guesses, it could work. I'll give it a shot!

"Hey!"

My hand froze as I went to lift it up towards the keypad. There was someone behind me. I slowly looked back to find a blonde haired woman whose hair went to the bottom of her neck, with two strands sticking out on top of her head like antennae. She had bright blue eyes, and was wearing a grey business suit with grey 2 inch high heeled shoes. She appeared to be a part of the staff.

"I'm sorry, but the third floor is for students only. No outsiders are allowed"

Her tone sounded bored. I don't think this woman likes her job very much… But why can't I go into the labs?

I decided to give up and listen to the woman. As I headed back down to the second floor, I watched her enter one of the rooms labelled "Professor Mikozuka's" room. I think she might be the secretary. Perhaps I should try talking to her. She might know something about my sister.

I carefully approached the door and gave the door a light tap. It was loud enough for people to hear.

"Come in"

From inside the room, I heard the woman's voice. I slowly turned the handle of the door and entered the Professor's room. The woman looked at me boredly as I came in.

"Oh, it's you again"

She sat straighter in her chair, turning her body to face me.

"I'm Larxene Mizukoshi, a secretary of Professor Mikozuka"

She introduced herself quite politely. She must still be trying to keep up a professional appearance.

"I'm Xion Kamijo. It's nice to meet you"

I gave her a small smile out of politeness. The woman, now revealed to be called Larxene, didn't respond with a smile in return. Her face remained bored actually.

"Since Professor Mikozuka is off on a business trip, I'm afraid you'll have to ask me about any queries you may have. So, is there a problem?"

She's making it sound like it's a bad thing. I rubbed the back of my head nervously, nodding.

"I thought so. You've come to see your sister, right?"

I was surprised at her response.

"Oh. How did you know?"

Larxene smirked slightly, leaning back in her chair and crossing one leg over the other.

"I received a call from the office assistant. He wanted me to check things over. I'm afraid that what you heard from the office is right. There are only seven students at Mikozuka lab. Maybe you got the names mixed up with another lab"

I fell silent yet again. I got the same answer here. My sister isn't here…? I don't understand.

Larxene raised an eyebrow as disappointment crossed my face. She slowly stood up.

"If you don't mind me being nosy, could you tell me your story? Perhaps I could help you out another way"

I was surprised at Larxene's offer. But I accepted. Maybe she could help me.

* * *

Larxene led me to the lounge of the building and offered me a coffee. There I explained to her my story about what had happened to my sister from the start. As I talked, I noticed she appeared to be very attentive. Once I'd finished, Larxene gave me a confused glance.

"Hm… That is strange"

I said nothing to that. I stirred the remains of my coffee with a plastic spoon slowly, watching as it sloshed about a bit inside the cup.

"But I can see you're telling the truth. I have been working here for five years since I graduated from high school. If your sister went here, I would be aware of who she was. But I really have no idea"

"I-I'm confused also…"

I glanced up a little at Larxene to see she was thinking. She was like that for a while. I continued to stir my now cold coffee around the cup some more.

"Maybe she was only taking a course that was in this building. Have you checked the list on the bulletin board on the first floor?"

I slowly shook my head to that. Larxene placed a hand under her chin, resting an elbow on the desk.

"Well, if you had bothered to check, you would have seen that there is only one D1 in Mikozuka lab"

"D1…?"

Larxene laughed a little at my reaction.

"Whoops. Sorry. I forgot you don't know much about this lab. D1 stands for the first year of the doctor course. The student's name is Sora Kingdom. From the first year he came here, he has always been the only D1 student in this lab. So even if you say your sister is here, I'm afraid she isn't"

I contemplated on Larxene's words for a moment. Since Sora is in the same year as my sister, I'll have to talk to him tomorrow.

I started to feel sick, so I rested my head on the table. Larxene looked at me concerned.

"Whoa there kiddo! You ok?"

I nodded slowly.

"I-I just feel a bit sick…"

She's right. Even if I don't understand this situation, and am still confused, my sister isn't here. Maybe… Maybe there was a misunderstanding. Yet it seems impossible. I wonder if Larxene thinks I feel sick because of the coffee. I noticed she glanced at hers weirdly before slowly pushing it to one side. She wasn't sure if she should drink it or not.

I decided to take a deep breath, and think calmly over the situation. My sister said she goes to Mikozuka lab. Well, the lab definitely exists. It's not made up. Therefore, she should be here. And yet, she isn't. No one has heard of her. The truth of my sister's supposed disappearance… What is it?

I glanced up at Larxene who was sat across the table from me. She does seem like an intelligent woman. And in a way, she is kind. Well, when she wants to be anyway. I wonder… Could she… be lying?

Larxene saw me looking at her, and gave me a sort of kind smile.

"Trying to think things through, huh?"

I gave a small nod, yet my suspicions still stayed. What other reason could there be? If my sister had lied, then why did she use a lab that already existed? And why this lab in particular? What is she doing, and where?

I found my thoughts swirling out of control with endless possibilities. She could be a criminal secretly committing a crime without telling me or Father about it! Or she could-

I stopped my thoughts there. No. I'm being stupid… I… I really trust her. She wouldn't do such a thing.

I remember when she said she was going to come here. I was really upset. I can remember her exact words…

"_Xion, I'm planning on applying to a graduate school for under 18s in Tokyo. There is a specific lab that I want to go to research. I sent the letter off yesterday. I honestly hope I can get in… Hey, why don't you come with me to Tokyo if I do? That way, I won't have to worry about you being on your own when Father isn't around!"_

Why did I refuse…? Why didn't I go with my sister to Tokyo…? I can't remember the reason at all.

Maybe… Maybe I'm making a mistake. That seems to be what has happened. Wait, I'm jumping to conclusions. I haven't even been to my sister's apartment yet! She could be there.

I sat up then, and took a deep breath. I tried to get rid of my anxiety. As I did, Larxene seemed to perk up a little.

"Anything…?"

I slowly shook my head in response. Larxene sighed then as she placed her coffee cup onto the tray. I noticed it was now empty. She must have decided to drink it after all.

"I really need to be getting back to work…"

I frowned worriedly.

"U-Uh, sorry about that! I-I didn't mean to pull you away from work for so long!"

Larxene only chuckled a little at my response, standing up.

"Don't worry about it! Being a secretary is a stressful thing you know! I really need a distraction from work from time to time!"

The two of us silently left the lounge, and headed back towards the office. Larxene halted outside of Professor Mikozuka's door.

"Well, I need to get back to work! Feel free to come by if you need help! Work does get boring from time to time"

I nodded, smiling a little.

"Thank you"

She merely smirked at me.

"Good luck kiddo"

And with that, she silently walked back into her office.

* * *

Deciding that there was nothing else for me to do here, I left Mikozuka lab through the front entrance. The last place I can check for my sister is her apartment.

As I continued on my way, my thoughts continued to flitter back to today. I thought she'd be here and that it would be easier to see her. I guess I was wrong…

As I was about to leave through the gates, I noticed a male student in front of me who had just left the building also. He had long silver hair and wore a light peach coloured jumper. He also wore long dark blue trousers and black shoes. He was carrying a black shoulder bag over his shoulder, along with a small stack of paper in his hands. He didn't appear to have noticed me. Perhaps he might know my sister…

I decided to call out to him.

"E-Excuse me! Do you have a moment?!"

The boy slowly turned around to look at me. His eyes were a greeny-blue colour. He had the same blue and white tie under his jumper along with a short sleeved white shirt, just like the girl who I saw outside the train station had. He was wearing a short sleeved jumper as well. He stared at me with an astonished face.

"Y-You… How?!"

He stumbled back out of shock, dropping the stack of papers he had been holding onto the floor suddenly. His reaction I found very unusual. This had been the first time we had met. I just stared at him with a confused look. He wasn't the only one who was puzzled by this situation…

"T-That…?! W-Why…?! W-Why a-are you here…?!"

I watched, still confused, as he quickly collected the stack of papers off the floor and shoved them into his bag without a second thought.

"Y-You! S-Stay away from me!"

Before I could ask him why he was reacting like this, the boy turned and ran away down the alleyway as fast as he could. For some reason I ran after him, trying my best to keep up.

"H-Hey! Wait a minute! What are you talking about?!"

By the time I had reached the other end of the alleyway, the boy was gone. He had somehow managed to get ahead of me and vanish before I reached the end.

"W-What…?"

I stood there silently, panting a little as I tried to catch my breath.

(What in Kingdom Hearts was he talking about just now…? We'd only just met! I hadn't even done anything to him! So why…?)

That was when I felt something by my foot. It looked like one of the papers that boy had dropped. I carefully picked it up. It was a graded exam paper. He must have forgotten it when he picked up his stack of papers in a hurry.

The front read: Second Year, Doctor Course, Riku Dawn.

Riku Dawn? So that's his name… He's on the same course my sister is supposed to be. He's just a year ahead. So he might know about her! But why was Riku so shocked? What was he thinking when he saw me? I haven't got time to be standing here and thinking about this.

Coming back to my senses, I quickly hurried to my sister's apartment, using signs for navigation. She has to be there! She just has to be!


	2. Chapter 2: Disappeared?

**The second chapter of this took me longer than I had predicted... And I wrote a lot more this time too. I didn't think the sections in the game would take up /this/ many words! XD**

**But yeah, I have finally completed the next chapter. I would like to apologise in advance if some areas of the chapters seem rushed. The game itself doesn't dwell long on the main character's thoughts of each situation, and most of the stuff she says is repetitive. So I've purposely missed certain parts out and tried to add in more detail to get a better sense of the story.**

**But yes, here is Chapter 2. I would also like to thank the people who are actually reading this story! I'm glad you are. Enjoy! XD**

* * *

Chapter 2: Disappeared…?

Getting to my sister's apartment was a bit more of a hassle than I'd originally thought. I had to rely on the signs around the road for direction, since there was barely anyone around to ask. With the memo tightly in my hand, I walked east away from the University and soon found myself in a quiet residential area.

It was here that I finally found my sister's apartment. Her apartment in Tokyo was a new prefabricated apartment. It seems a bit too early for me to rest in the room. So, since she was not at Mikozuka lab, she must be here. I restrained the anxiety that was slowly returning, and carefully made my way up the steps.

I cautiously approached the door of the apartment. The nameplate on the door said "Kamijo". This is definitely her apartment! Thank goodness. After the lab incident, I had my doubts that she was even in Tokyo at the address she'd given me. Looks like I was proven wrong!

I decided to push the doorbell by the door, just in case she was in. It would save me using the spare key. I gently pushed the button. A loud "ding dong" sounded around the area. I waited a few moments in silence, trying to listen out for footsteps. I couldn't hear any. As I had expected, no one answered the door… I guess I'll have to use the spare key.

I carefully placed the key into the keyhole, and found it fit in smoothly. I slowly turned the lock until I heard the click. The key I had been given was definitely for this apartment. Again I was glad I was proven wrong. I just hope she is inside… But still, if she is, why didn't she answer the door…?

I held back my doubts as I slowly turned the doorknob, pushing the door open quietly.

I slowly entered the room. The room appeared ordinary. There was a TV at one end of the room along with a sofa. There was a kitchen and bathroom attached to it. There were various ornaments littered around in front of the TV and on the coffee table in between that and the sofa. But of course, it was empty. No one was here.

My chest tightened once again. I went to her lab, and she wasn't there. And so now I've come to her apartment, but she isn't here either. What could this mean…? Has she…?

My eyes widened in horror then. What's happened to her?! Where is she?! Has she been kidnapped?! Has she been murdered?! Oh…

What should I do? Maybe I could try investigating the apartment.

I went into the kitchen first. I looked in all the cupboards and even the fridge. I couldn't find any food in there whatsoever.

(Did she clean everything out and leave…?)

No. That couldn't have been possible. She would have told me if she was going somewhere else… right?

Yet I checked the draws, and found tableware that had been neatly arranged. This is confusing. The apartment hasn't even been used, has it? Or at least, it doesn't seem like anyone has been using this place… I'm really confused.

I checked other areas such as the bathroom and bedroom, and it was the same again. Everything had been left neat and tidy, almost as if it hadn't been used. I found this odd. I'm sure my sister has used this apartment. Her name is on the front door! So why…?

I came back into the living room slowly, and my eyes fell upon the phone on the table by the door. I wonder…

I slowly walked over to it and turned on her messages. They were all from me. All eight of them. I decided to play them back.

"Hi sister! It's Xion! Are you here? I haven't heard from you in a while. Is everything alright? Please call back soon! Bye!"

"Sister, it's Xion again! Are you ok? I'm becoming concerned. It's been a month since we last spoke. Is your research keeping you busy? Please can you call me back when you're free? Talk to you later, hopefully-"

The messages continued on and on endlessly. One played from when I had tried to contact her on the train. Another one was the last message I left before I came here, which was at home.

"-It's Xion again! I've arrived in Tokyo. I've been to your lab and found you weren't there. I'm on my way over to the apartment. I hope everything is ok-"

I had contacted the apartment on the way here, just to see if she would pick up. As expected, she never did. I now know why.

"-Please pick up the phone-"

"_-Your sister is already dead"_

I froze and stared at the phone in shock as the messages came to an end. What did it say…? I-I'm sure I heard a strange voice. I listened to the messages again. That voice sounded like someone else. I'm sure of it. Yet the only voice I could hear was my own. Was I… imagining things? Was I paranoid?

I was quite frightened, so I erased the message from the phone. The only sounds in the apartment now were coming from the tape as it re-winded. Was that really my imagination? It said my sister was… But… I…

I finally pressed the delete button. The messages were erased completely. That seemed to ease my mind a little. As I stood there in silence, I thought about this situation with my sister as a whole. I was glad I had decided to come now. If I had let this situation go on any longer, who knows what could have happened to my sister…

It does seem to make sense that someone could have possibly kidnapped her. The question is… Who would kidnap her? Perhaps it was the people in the lab. When I was stood in that lab, it felt like it was too different. I know it was a graduate school for those who were more intelligent than they should be for their age, but… I find it strange how no one knows who my sister is. There is still a possibility that she's lied to me, but her apartment is here and she isn't in it. Question is: Why…?

I suppose this means it's up to me. I will have to do some investigating within that lab tomorrow. I will have to search thoroughly. Something is going on, and I believe that lab is connected to it. The staff there have to be lying.

I glanced out the window of the apartment to find it was starting to get very dark. It's late. Perhaps I should rest. I can put my mind at ease then. I can worry about this tomorrow.

I froze however when the sound of the doorbell echoed around the room loudly. Could it be…?

(My sister! She came back!)

I went to open the door, but my hand immediately froze by the doorknob. I was being too hasty. I had let my excitement get the better of me. Why would she ring her doorbell if this is _her _home?

I stayed silent in front of the door, waiting for the person on the other side to do something. The doorbell was only rung once. It didn't sound again. I was hesitant to open the door now. Could it be… the person who kidnapped my sister? Have they come for me too? Do they think I know something? Is the person still there? Should I risk opening the door?

I decided to go with my gut, despite the regrets that could be waiting for me on the other side of the door, and slowly placed my hand on the doorknob. I gripped it tightly until my knuckles went white. I swallowed back my fear, and quickly yanked open the door.

The person on the other side jumped out of fright. They hadn't been expecting that to happen so suddenly. My eyes widened.

"Y-You're…"

It was the student who I met earlier today, Riku Dawn. I could see Riku's forehead was caked in sweat. His temples were pulsing. What was he doing here? And how did he know where I was heading? He seemed very afraid. Was someone following him?

I feared his sudden arrival, and so I quickly went to shut the door. Riku quickly stopped it with his foot however.

"W-Wait…! P-Please…!"

I paused abruptly, keeping the door partly open so only the top half of my body could be seen. I gripped the side of the wood tightly. My hands were trembling. And my knuckles had gone white again from my tight grip. What did he want?

Riku quickly looked around again before lowering his voice.

"Look for Lea Hikari. A-Ask him. He will help you"

"L-Lea Hikari…?"

My voice was shaky. Riku nodded stiffly before looking around again.

"He's on the third floor of the lab along with the rest of us"

I noticed now that Riku's eyes were also bloodshot. Why was he so panicked? What is he trying to tell me?

"A-Ask for help from L-Lea Hikari…?"

Riku nodded again. This time his expression seemed relieved. I think he's glad I understand partly what he's trying to say. He quickly took a memo from his pocket and gave it to me. I took it carefully with a trembling hand.

As I did that, Riku went to run away, but he stopped suddenly in his tracks and swirled around to face me once more with a look of guilt.

"A-And… S-Sorry about e-earlier…"

Before I could say anymore, Riku was off like a shot. He was a fast runner. Was someone really following him?

I poked my head outside of the room to look. There was no one there. This is all so strange…

I quickly came back inside the apartment, closing the door shut behind me. I couldn't risk it however. If someone is out there, I'm not going to leave the door open for them.

I stared down at the memo from Riku clenched tightly in my hands. The memo contained four numbers. They were the following: 0268.

A four digit number…? Realisation hit me like a brick to the face. Of course. This must be to open the door to the student rooms on the third floor! But what did he mean when he said "Ask Lea Hikari for help"? He is obviously a student at the lab, but… How is he connected to all of this? Does he know something about my sister?

I glanced back at the door worriedly. I'm worried for Riku's safety now. I may not have known him long, but I can't help this feeling I have. I think someone was following him. And if he went out of his way just to help me like that, his life must be at risk.

My chest tightened again. I was becoming so distant from my sister now. I felt so gloomy in this apartment, all on my own. Yet, this is making me more determined. I _will _return to Mikozuka lab tomorrow. I will search for Lea Hikari, and get his help in order to find my sister. Someone there knows something, and I'm going to find out who it is!

* * *

When I opened my eyes, I found myself surrounded by nothing but darkness.

(W-Where am I…?)

I glanced in front of me to find someone standing there with their back to me. It was a young woman, with long light brown hair that fell down the top half of her back. She was wearing a long sleeved white dress and no shoes. Why does she seem so familiar…? Who is it…? Am… Am I dreaming…? I remember going to bed shortly after Riku left, so I must have fallen asleep, right?

I found myself starting to feel a bit sick. Is this a vision? Am I aware that I'm dreaming? I want to wake up! And yet, I can't. My mind is still focused on the woman in front of me. Who is she?

She's someone I have met. I know she is. She feels like someone special to me. Is she… my sister…?

"Are you my sister…?"

I got no response. The woman kept her back to me. I wasn't going to give up though.

"I-If you are my sister, please turn around… Please… I don't want to worry anymore…"

The woman still didn't turn around. No. She couldn't be my sister. My sister was still under the age of 18. She was a year older than me, and I was only 15.

I frowned a little towards her stomach. I noticed it was quite chubby. Was she fat? Or…?

I noticed now that she was crouching. She is hardly supporting her body. I decided to try to talk to her again.

"Are you ok…? Who are you…? Please answer me…"

There was no response.

"If you need help, I'll do anything! Honest! Please… Please! I need to know if you're ok!"

Still nothing. The woman refused to speak or turn around to face me.

"Please… Let me see your face… Why are you standing with your back to me…? You're someone I know, right? You're someone special to me, aren't you? Please look at me…"

At last, I seemed to get through to her. The woman slowly and gradually moved her heavy body so that she could face me properly.

I stumbled back immediately out of horror when my eyes fell upon her face. The woman was smiling almost in a vengeful way. Her eyes were empty and hollow, _literally._ There was nothing there! I was frightened! A loud scream pierced through my ears. It was the cry of agonising death. The scream wasn't mine. It must have come from her. I was almost in tears. What had she suffered through? Who had done this to her? Why was she hurting?

"Make it stop! Make it stop! Please! HELP!"

* * *

_December 19__th__, Early Morning…_

* * *

I quickly sat up in my bed with my forehead drenched in sweat. I took deep breaths as I glanced around the area I was in. I was in the bedroom again. I sighed heavily in relief when I realised where I was. It really was just a dream. And yet… that woman… What happened to her…? Was she ok?

My eyes fell upon a small line of light lighting up some of the wall on the other side of the room. It was coming from a small gap in the curtains. Was it morning already?

Oh! It's morning! I need to get to the lab!

I quickly got out of bed then, and started getting ready as quick as possible for my trek to the lab. The only place I can find the answers to my sister's disappearance is Mikozuka lab. There is no way it would be anywhere else. I still had the memo that Riku gave me last night. I'm sure that's the PIN number to enter the student area of the facility. I can get the information from other students, and among those should be one named Lea Hikari. He's the one who can help me. If what Riku told me is true, I should get the answers I'm looking for.

Once I had made sure I had eaten something and that I was ready, I quickly left the apartment. I stopped by a convenient store on the way to the main street to look for anything that could be of some use to me. I found a CD-ROM in there. Since the lab was full of research, I could use this disk to my advantage and save any data they might have that is useful to me from the computers. That's if they have any.

As I continued my little trek towards the lab, my thoughts were still going back to the woman in my dream. For some reason, I felt really guilty. Why was I like this?

I shook the thoughts away as I continued up the main street. I can worry about my dream later. Perhaps it is connected to my sister's disappearance, but until I get answers, I can't say that for sure.

I halted suddenly as I saw panicked people running past me. I found that further up the main street it was quite crowded. That was where those people were running to. There appeared to be a commotion. Something must have happened. People were pointing towards the subway. I noticed two students closest to me from the University who were conversing. I eavesdropped into their conversation.

"Hey, what's going on?"

"I don't know. Apparently there was a fatal accident or something in the subway"

"Really? Do you know how it happened…?"

"I heard someone say that it was an attempted suicide. Someone jumped in front of the train"

"W-What happened to them…?!"

"I don't know… I didn't see anything. I was by the ticket gate when it happened. I doubt they're ok though. There is no way anyone could survive that"

"Did you hear anyone mention about the reason for the suicide?"

"No. Apparently it seemed really hard to identify the person from the body"

An unidentified body…? A suicide…?

The words were ominously ringing through my thoughts. Maybe… Maybe the dead body… What if it's my sister?!

Without a second thought, I darted towards Hongou subway station.

* * *

When I arrived there, it was the end of the rush hour. As I expected, the area was crowded by students and observers of all ages. They were trying to get a good look at the body. The police were there. They were blocking the ticket gate off so no one could get through while they investigated. I was hearing various discussions going on as I tried to make my way through the crowd.

"I heard there is blood all over the platform"

"The body is apparently in a horrid state"

"I bet the passengers at the front of the train were traumatised. I would be if I was in their position and saw that!"

A knot began to form in my stomach and tightened as I continued to push my way through the crowd. With the fact that my sister had disappeared, I wanted to confirm that wasn't her body. I had to. There was no turning back now. I need to ease my paranoia. The lab can wait.

I finally managed to get to the policeman who was standing in front of the tape they had put around the ticket gate.

"E-Excuse me…"

The policeman looked at me with concern.

"Yes, may I help you?"

It seems the officer could see from my face that I wasn't just an observer. That's probably why he answered me.

"I-I think the person who committed suicide… might be my family…"

My voice had gone faint. I couldn't speak well at all. My nerves and fears were getting the better of me. There was a moment of silence before the police officer lifted up the tape.

"Then please come this way"

As I followed behind the police officer quietly, everyone's eyes had fallen upon me. The atmosphere around me is filled with anxiety. They don't know how I feel right now. I just hope it isn't my sister… I just hope I'm wrong.

I had to wait for a moment in the area while the police officer went to get permission for me to look at the body. I sat down on one of the chairs, trembling horridly. I saw two people pass by me. It looked like they had just come out from being questioned by the police.

"O-Oh man… I really can't believe this…"

"I'm not going to take the front car anymore…"

"I agree. I feel so sick and nauseous…"

"I feel like I'm going to get nightmares"

"Me too. Poor guy… If the person even was a guy"

"I know. I couldn't tell from the body whether they were male or female. That's how mangled it was!"

I felt my chest tighten. That had made my nerves even worse. What if it was my sister…? How would I be able to handle this…?

I looked back to find the policeman slowly approaching me. He had returned quicker than I had expected.

"Please come this way. Brace yourself"

I carefully followed the police officer towards where the body was along the platform. My heart was beating hard against my rib cage, almost as if it was trying to break free from the confines of my chest. I have never felt this nervous in my life. My sister wouldn't commit suicide! She was always so cheerful and happy! There was nothing she could commit suicide for! It can't be her, right? That isn't my sister!

I was trying effortlessly to delude myself as we got closer and closer to where the body lay. Was I really that panicked?

When we halted at where the body was, my whole body froze. The body was severely detached and badly damaged. It was quite unrecognisable. But, this person wasn't my sister. That I was relieved about; however, when my eyes fell upon the person's face, I felt like I was going to throw up.

The person was a male. I could see they were wearing the uniform from Mikozuka lab. I swallowed hard.

"No. It isn't who I thought it was…"

"You looked so certain about the body, so I thought you had a suicide note" The officer replied calmly.

I shook my head. I looked at the body again, holding back the urge to vomit. I was trembling horridly still. I knew this person. My eyes fell upon the face, and they widened even further.

"B-But… I recognise the person… I know them…"

It was Riku Dawn. I was right to have been concerned for him after all. Someone must have been following him last night. As much as I didn't want to believe it, the uniform he was wearing stated it was possibly him. His looks resembled the same person I met last night. I felt horrible. If only I had known… I could have tried to stop him, but… Riku… I'm sorry…

After that incident, the officer led me back off the platform. I told him all he needed to know before I was allowed to leave.

* * *

I came back out onto the main street really shaken up. I felt like I was going to cry, and yet I held that urge back. So, the person who could have committed suicide might be Riku? Poor Riku… I may have only known him a short while, but still… He's tried to help me find out about my sister, and for that I'm grateful. Something is going on in that lab. I know there is. If Riku knows something, then I bet Lea Hikari does too. I'm more determined now to find my sister. I won't let Riku's sacrifice go to waste like that, if it is him who jumped in front of the train…

I travelled the same way as I did yesterday, going up the street and then turning down the narrow alleyway and coming towards the large white building up ahead. My anxiety had left me now. I was prepared to enter and find out what has happened to my sister. I will find out, no matter what. I noticed this time around that there were no footsteps when I entered the alleyway. Perhaps it was just my nerves messing with my head yesterday…

As I entered the building and walked down the corridor of the first floor, I found the area to be quite quiet. It seems there wasn't a lot of staff around today. I decided to check the bulletin board that Larxene mentioned yesterday to check for the students here.

I carefully approached the board to my left and found the information sheet. This mentioned everyone in the building. The note said the following:

-Staff-

Professor: Vexen Mikozuka

Assistant Professor: Ansem Haibara

Office Assistant: Xigbar Tanabu

Technical Officer: Zexion Kanematsu

Secretary: Larxene Mizukoshi

-Doctor Course Students-

D3: Lea Hikari

D2: Riku Dawn

D1: Sora Kingdom

-Master Course Students-

M2: Namine White

M2: Isa Crescent

M1: Roxas Destiny

"D" stands for the Doctor Course. I remember Larxene telling me that. And the "M" stands for the Master course. And the numbers after the letters show the year of the student and how long they have been studying said course. My sister is supposed to be in the first year of the Doctor Course. And just like Larxene said, "Sora Kingdom" is the only one there according to this bulletin. But Lea's name is definitely on there. He is here then.

At least I could be relieved about something. Yet I noticed something really strange. Larxene and Xigbar told me there were _seven_ students who went to this lab. But all I see are six students listed on the board. This is strange. Wait… Could the seventh student possibly be my sister?! Now I was really onto something! My sister must be here! But then, why isn't her name on the board…?

I continued on my way up to the third floor. It wasn't long before I arrived outside of the door that led to the students' rooms. I took the memo out of my pocket that Riku had given to me yesterday. I made sure no one was looking before typing in the four numbers I needed. I quickly put the paper back into my pocket as I heard a loud click. I sighed in relief. The door opened. I quickly opened the door and walked through before any of the staff caught me.

* * *

The corridor here was like the one on the other side of the door, except it had doors on either side of the corridor, unlike other floors which had the doors only on the right side, with the windows on the left, excluding the entrance of course. They were rooms, each with a nameplate outside that stated what it was or who it belonged to. Where do I start…?

I decided before going to find Lea Hikari that I should try and ask some of the other students first. Perhaps they know something. I decided to check the first room on the right of me, ignoring the nameplates for now.

I poked my head into the doorway to see a young spiky brunette haired boy sat at a small desk, typing away on his laptop. He had bright blue eyes. Like Riku, he wore the same coloured jumper and tie, and a white short sleeved shirt. He also wore the same trousers and shoes as Riku too. The only difference was that his jumper was long sleeved, unlike Riku's whose had been short sleeved.

He had a very concentrated look on his face. He must be working on research or looking at results from an experiment, at least that's what I assumed.

He looked towards the doorway from his work and saw me standing there awkwardly. He gave me a wide smile.

"Oh, hello! I don't remember us being informed about a visitor coming here today!"

I rubbed the back of my head sheepishly.

"Heh… Well, my arrival was kinda unexpected…"

I carefully held out my hand.

"My name is Xion. Xion Kamijo"

The boy slowly stood up and moved away from his chair, taking hold of my hand and shaking it gently to complete the greeting.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Xion. I'm Sora. Sora Kingdom. I'm in the first year of the Doctor Course at Mikozuka lab"

I grinned back in response as I carefully pulled my hand back.

"It's a pleasure to meet you too, Sora"

Sora quickly returned to his seat, keeping his body facing me.

"So are you perhaps a new student that will be enrolling into this lab soon, or have you just come to have a look at the place?"

I shuffled my feet nervously.

"A-Actually no… I'm looking for help. It's a long story. Would you mind if I ask you about it?"

Sora gave me a polite smile, sitting back in his chair slightly.

"Not at all. I don't mind helping people. What's the problem?"

"Well…"

I explained to him the reason as to why I was here, starting with my sister applying to this lab. The entire time I talked, Sora listened intently to what I had to say. He nodded occasionally to make sure I knew he was paying attention. Once I had finished explaining, he sat there in shock.

"Wow. That really is strange… You said your sister was supposed to be in her first year of the Doctor Course, right?"

I nodded stiffly.

"Do you perhaps know anything, Sora? Since you two are in the same grade?"

Sora frowned in thought for a moment before shaking his head.

"I'm sorry to say that I don't. As far as I know, I've been the only D1 student here. There hasn't been anyone else. Really, I'm sorry…"

I was slightly disappointed, but I had been expecting that. I nodded slowly in response.

"It's ok. But thank you for your time"

Sora nodded before turning back to his work. He gave me a small sad smile.

"I hope you do find your sister though. Good luck"

"Thank you"

I quickly left the room. So Sora hadn't heard anything? I guess that rules out one student.

"Oh man! What am I going to do?!"

I halted suddenly at the sound of a voice coming from the room opposite Sora's. The door was wide open. A panicked looking spiky blonde haired boy with bright blue eyes was pacing back and forth around his study room, looking really worried. He was wearing the same uniform as Sora, except I noticed his jumper was on the back of the chair by his desk. I wonder what's wrong…

I slowly walked into the room as the boy stood by his desk.

"Why did my experiment have to be today…?"

"Is everything alright?"

The boy jumped suddenly and glanced in my direction in surprise.

"What? Oh! It's nothing really serious! It's just…"

He sighed heavily.

"My cat is by the incinerator of the lab you see. And because of my experiment today, I can't take care of her. I'm worried she might starve or something…"

The boy's eyes widened then as he turned to me, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

"Ah! Sorry! Where are my manners?! I shouldn't be worrying a stranger with my problems…"

He muttered the last part mainly to himself. He held out a hand, smiling politely.

"The name's Roxas. Roxas Destiny. I'm in my first year of the Master Course here at the lab. And you are…?"

I smiled back in response, gently taking hold of his hand and shaking it.

"Xion. Xion Kamijo. It's nice to meet you Roxas"

"And you too Xion. So, is there a particular reason you're here, or did you just stop by because you overheard me worrying for my pet…?"

Roxas chuckled a little at the last part of his sentence. I shook my head in response.

"Actually, I was wondering if I could ask you something…"

"Of course. Is there something wrong? Perhaps I can help"

Just like I did with Sora, I explained to Roxas everything about what had happened with my sister. Roxas stood there with his arms folded, listening intently to what I had to say. When I had finished my story, he seemed confused.

"Is that so…? How weird…"

He frowned in thought for a moment before shaking his head.

"I have no idea. I've only arrived here this year, so I'm afraid I don't know much about any students that could have been here before me. Perhaps you could try asking one of the Doctor Course students, or maybe one of the Master Course students above me. They might know something. I do hope you find your sister though"

I smiled warmly at his response.

"Thank you. And thank you for your time. Sorry to bother you"

And with that, I left the room. So Roxas doesn't know anything either…? I was really starting to have doubts. But at least he's given me some advice that I can work with.

I decided to try the room next to Sora's; however, just as I approached it, a glimpse of blonde caught my eye. I turned towards it and my eyes widened in surprise. The same girl that I had seen at the train station was sitting in the room opposite the one I was about to walk into. She appeared to be sorting through certain files and ordering them on her desk. I should have realised that she wore the same uniform as Riku! So, she's a student here?

I was nervous to go in now. Would she remember who I was?

Taking a deep breath, I changed my course of action and walked into her room. Upon hearing footsteps, the girl glanced in my direction curiously.

"Oh, hello. I didn't think the lab was expecting any guests today"

She didn't appear to recognise me from yesterday, which I found quite odd. I didn't say anything though. The girl gave me a shy smile.

"My name is Namine. Namine White. I'm one of the two students in their second year of the Master Course. I'm the only female in this lab, sadly…"

Namine chuckled awkwardly at her attempt to make a joke. She tilted her head to the side a little afterwards.

"And who might you be?"

"I'm Xion Kamijo. It's nice to meet you Namine!"

I could tell that Namine had spotted my troubled expression.

"Is there something wrong?"

I forced a smile.

"Oh! Nothing's wrong! I just… This might sound strange, but have we… met before?"

Namine seemed slightly surprised that I had asked that question. She slowly shook her head.

"No. I don't think we have… Have we?"

I shrugged.

"Probably not. I'm sorry for asking"

She smiled politely in response.

"I understand. Perhaps you might have mistaken me for someone else"

Had I mistaken her for someone else? I wasn't sure… Perhaps she wasn't the same girl who I saw at the station yesterday. I must be getting confused, right?

Namine frowned a little at the expression on my face again.

"And yet you still seem troubled… Is there something else bothering you? Maybe I could help. I don't mind"

I looked down at the ground a little.

"W-Well, actually…"

I went on to explain my story to her. Considering Namine looks to be slightly older than me, she might be friends with my sister. They appear to be the same age. The entire time, Namine paid close attention. When I finished explaining, she seemed really concerned.

"Oh dear. That is strange. Well, as I said previously, I am the only female student in this lab. I'm sure if your sister had been here, we probably would have been friends. But I don't know any girls around here who go to this lab under the name Kamijo. It's very rare that girls graduate to these kinds of things you see, even someone of a higher intelligence than their age group"

She gave me a sad smile.

"I'm sorry that I can't be of much help"

I once again forced another smile onto my face. Disappointment was really all I was getting today. I honestly hope this doesn't continue…

"It's okay. Thank you anyway for your time"

"Good luck with finding your sister"

She continued to smile at me as I left the room. So that's three students I've asked already, and yet no one knows anything? The knot in my stomach began to tighten. No. I can't give up yet. I still have three more students to ask, one of them being Lea Hikari. I'm not going to give in yet.

I halted suddenly in the corridor to find a boy with spiked up blue hair and blue eyes leaving the room opposite Namine's. He was wearing the same uniform as Sora, even with the long sleeves on the jumper. I heard him mumbling as he left the room and passed by me. He appeared to be quite a bit taller than me. And two years older than me too.

"Dawn isn't here then, huh? That's very strange of him to miss a day without letting anyone know…"

Wait, what did that boy say? Riku isn't…

The boy paused however by the room he was about to go into, and slowly turned back around to face me. He stared at me with an expressionless face.

"A visitor, hm? Name's Isa Crescent, a second year student for the Master Course"

"I'm Xion Kamijo. It's nice to meet you Isa"

I held out a hand towards him; however he just continued to stare at me emotionlessly. After a while I awkwardly retracted my hand. Well, he seems quite rude.

"Is there a reason why you were just standing there, staring at me as if I was acting suspicious?"

He's very straightforward with everything too, isn't he?

"Well, I need to ask you something… If you wouldn't mind me borrowing some of your time that is"

He leaned against the wall beside him, folding his arms.

"How can I help?"

Just like everyone else before him, I explained what had happened to my sister. I could see that despite everything that had occurred beforehand, he still listened to me carefully. When I had finished, he frowned in thought.

"Hmm… I have never heard of such a thing like this happen before. I don't see the reason why though"

I was confused by his remark.

"Reason? What do you mean?"

"I don't see her reason for doing this to you. I don't know why your own sister would lie to you"

He blinked at me surprised when he saw the hurt look on my face. He's accusing my sister of lying to me?!

"Ah, sorry… I-I didn't mean-"

He halted mid-sentence, sighing heavily.

"But anyway, I don't know what could have happened. I haven't heard of such a person here. I can't help you"

I watched dumbfounded as he continued back into his room. I went to call out to him to come back; however, before I could do so he slammed the door shut. It was on the same side as Namine's and Roxas', just further up. Well, he was certainly rude.

I glanced towards the room that Isa had just come out of. I read the nameplate on the door. It said "Riku Dawn". The door was still partially open, so I could see into the room far enough. It was empty. I felt my stomach tighten. Was the boy who jumped in front of the train really Riku, or is this just a coincidence? Did he really commit suicide?

I felt horrible right now. It was partly my fault that Riku did that, right? _If _he did that is… I mean, he was trying to help me. I didn't want him to lose his life because of it! There must be something going on here. Maybe the students aren't involved. Maybe they are. Well, I know some of them seem to be. Riku was/is, and so is this Lea Hikari.

Speaking of Lea Hikari, my eyes fell upon the nameplate on the door to the left of Riku's room. Lea Hikari's room was the last student. The door was closed. So Isa hadn't been of much help to me at all. At least Sora and Namine had attempted to help me. The same goes with Roxas. Riku had already helped me out a little by directing me here…

But none of this makes sense. There is one missing student in this lab out of the seven that are supposed to be here. And yet everyone has no idea who it is. They don't know who my sister is. And why was Isa in Riku's room anyway…?

I shook that last thought from my head. I'm not going to dwell on that right now. Lea Hikari is my last hope. All my options have run out. I need to focus on asking him now about my sister.

Riku's words echoed in my head as I slowly approached the door, and gave it a gentle knock. There was no answer for me to come in. Was Lea in there? Doubt had started to fill my thoughts now, but I pushed them away. I decided to be brave and gently push the door open anyway. It won't hurt to check, right?

If what Riku has told me is true, then this student should bring me one step closer to my sister. I honestly hope Lea Hikari has the answers I'm seeking…


	3. Chapter 3: D3 Hikari

**This chapter was a right pain to do. The amount of things the main character kept repeating and skimming over really annoyed me a little, and so it was hard trying to make the plot match the plot of this one. I'm glad I'm not sticking to the game word for word, or in this case idea to idea, heh... XD**

**But anyway, thank you again to people who are actually reading this story. If you could please let me know in the reviews whether this story is good or not, I would honestly appreciate it. It will help me estimate where I am currently with this story. **

**I hope you enjoy the next chapter, where things really start to get confusing...**

* * *

Chapter 3: D3 Hikari

I slowly and cautiously entered the room. I was relieved when I saw a young red spiky haired teen sat at his desk, writing some research down on a piece of paper which he was copying off the computer. At least, it seemed that way from where I was looking. And just like Isa, he was wearing a similar uniform. There were two things different however. His jumper was short sleeved, but he was wearing a long sleeved white shirt. I could see the sleeves of the shirt clearly. He appeared to be around the same age as Isa.

I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous. This boy sat here was Lea Hikari, the one person who has the answers to my sister's disappearance. What if I wasn't prepared for the truth? I didn't know how I should prepare myself. And what if Riku's advice also leads me to a dead end? What if Lea doesn't have the answers I'm looking for?

I could feel doubt starting to clog up my thoughts again. My anxiety returned. The knot in my stomach tightened. I was feeling really sick. What should I do? I can't just give up now! Whether I like it or not, I have to know the truth! I have to know what happened to my sister! She was always there for me… And now, it's my turn. I have to find her, no matter what. I have to believe Riku.

I took a deep breath in, before slowly walking towards Lea. He still hadn't noticed that I had come in. I paused by his chair, silently watching a moment longer as he continued with his work. I didn't want to disturb him. I was hesitating, yet I had to. I did not come all the way back to this lab for nothing. I closed my eyes, took another deep breath to calm my nerves, and spoke.

"Excuse me, do you have a minute?"

The redhead froze in his seat at the sound of my voice. He wasn't frightened, I could see that. Instead he seemed… surprised? Was that the word?

Lea slowly turned around to face me; however, upon laying his gaze on my face, his bright green eyes suddenly widened in horror. His face went a deathly pale colour. His eyes stayed glued to my face. I was beginning to feel very awkward. Why is he staring at me like this? Just like Riku, his behaviour was unusual. I noticed this. But why was it like this?

"Is… there something wrong?"

It took a moment for him to regain his senses. Lea suddenly snapped back to reality, blinking a few times and rubbing his eyes.

"W-What?! Oh! N-Nothing! S-Sorry!"

He sounded panicked. Had I startled him?

I watched as Lea slowly began to calm down. He took a deep breath and glanced back at me again.

"Excuse that little moment there... My name is Lea Hikari, a three year Doctor Course Student at Mikozuka lab. Got it memorized?"

I blinked in confusion at his question, unsure of whether to answer it or not. Lea didn't wait for a response from me. He continued.

"So… Is there a reason why you're here or…?"

Now it was my turn to be snapped out of my trance.

"W-Well… I-I'm Xion. Xion Kamijo-"

I was surprised when Lea's eyes widened yet again the minute I mentioned my last name. He must know something about my sister! The last name must be familiar to him!

"-I've come to speak to you about my sister"

Lea just sat there silently, staring at me confused and scared. After a moment of silence, I cleared my throat and continued.

"You see, my sister came to Tokyo to study at this lab over three years ago. She didn't actually start her studying here until this year. We used to keep in contact over the phone until just recently. I lost contact with her three months ago, and so I've come here to see if she's okay. My sister isn't in her apartment, and I've noticed she isn't here either. She's a D1 student. I was wondering if maybe you know her, or have seen her at all, or if maybe she might have said something to you before she disappeared…"

I silently waited for an answer. Lea still looked at me confused. The silence was really getting to me. Why wasn't he answering? Lea was just sat there staring at me as if I was mad.

After a moment or so longer, he sighed heavily.

"I don't know your sister"

I felt my heart sink to the bottom of my rib cage like a rock in water. I watched as he just casually turned back to his work, continuing on with his writing. I just stood there dumbly. I was hoping that I had heard him wrong. He didn't know my sister either? And yet, I find his reactions rather peculiar. Is he hiding something from me? He knows something, doesn't he?

"A-Are you sure…? I was told by another student here that you might know something about her"

Lea didn't halt with his work. He continued with it, not looking up from the piece of paper in front of him.

"I honestly don't know anyone with the name Kamijo here"

Not once did he look at me when he said that, and yet I noticed that he was forcing himself to say this. I could hear it in his tone. He knows something. Why does he refuse to tell me?

I hesitated in trying to ask him again, but I didn't want to disturb him or come across as rude. But I couldn't understand how he could just turn away from me like that and act like I wasn't there. Just a moment ago he was staring at me weirdly, and now this? Lea had to be hiding something. Was he… scared of telling me? Would something happen to him if he revealed anything?

I sighed heavily, giving up.

"Fine. Sorry for bothering you…"

I silently left the room, but I swore as I turned around that Lea watched me leaving. Was he feeling guilty for keeping this from me…? I guess I'll never know.

* * *

I slowly shut the door to Lea's room, and stood in the middle of the corridor in silence. I had gotten nowhere since I had come here. I was getting the same answers. No one knows who my sister is. And yet I was told there are seven students in this lab. The seventh has to be my sister. And yet there are only six lab rooms on this floor, and besides Riku's they are all occupied.

They have to be covering something up. Lea and Riku have been acting weird ever since I have set foot into this lab. Riku led me back here to Lea, and Lea is refusing to tell me anything. He knows something. I know! I can see it in his actions! They are trying to cover something up, and that something is connected to my sister's disappearance!

Maybe I should just leave. I've done all I can here, right?

As I turned to go however something bright shined in my eyes. I flinched and squinted them shut, turning quickly towards the stairs at the other end of the corridor that led to the fourth floor. Huh? What was that?

I slowly approached the stairs and found a large ray of sunlight shining on the steps and behind a nearby bin. I winced again when the same light hit my eyes. It was coming from behind the bin. Curiously I leaned behind there.

My gaze fell upon a small old looking locket that was made of silver. I slowly picked it up off the floor and rested it in the middle of my palm. The owner has looked after this locket well. I was really tempted to open it, but then I stopped myself from doing so. If I had dropped this locket, I wouldn't want anybody looking in it. That's going against their personal privacy. And yet this locket seemed important for some reason. But why…?

I stared at the locket a bit longer, lost in thought. I really should return this to its owner, but who does it belong to?

I turned back towards Namine's room on the left side of the corridor. She seems to be the most likely person to carry a locket, right? I'm not being stereotypical, but girls are the ones who commonly wear lockets. Maybe this might belong to her.

I quietly walked back towards her room again and poked my head around the door. Namine was still in the room, but she was now typing away on her computer. By the looks of things, she had sorted out her files from before. They were placed in alphabetical order in a pile by the computer.

I lightly knocked on the door. Namine quickly turned from her work to look at me. She seemed surprised.

"Hello Xion! Why are you back so soon? Is something wrong?"

I slowly walked into the room.

"Well, nothing is really wrong… I just wanted to ask you about this"

I showed her the hand that had the locket in it.

"I found this behind the bin by the stairs that lead up to the fourth floor. Is this yours or do you know who it belongs to?"

Namine turned around in her chair and leaned over towards my hand a little, staring at the locket curiously.

"Hm… Well, I don't know what to tell you, besides the fact that it isn't mine. I don't know who this locket belongs to. But, this locket might protect you"

I frowned a little at her words. Protect me…?

Namine leaned back in her chair then, staring at me seriously.

"I'd be really careful who you show that to, just a warning…"

What? Why did she give me this warning…?

Namine glanced back at the locket curiously.

"But I think that item might be a memorial for the owner. That's usually what lockets are for, right?"

She gave me a meaningful smile. Was she trying to mock me, or was that smile genuine? I couldn't tell. I was being highly suspicious of Namine now, especially since she didn't recognise me from the station. I slowly nodded in agreement.

"Yeah. Well, thank you for the advice. And sorry for bothering you again"

I bowed my head awkwardly and quickly left the room. So it wasn't Namine's locket. This is confusing. Who else could this locket belong to?

Her words started echoing in my head again as my eyes landed upon Lea's door. Asking him might not be a good idea. Not after what happened earlier… My eyes then went to Isa's room. Same goes for Isa. I'd better not ask him either. Not after earlier. I think Namine's "advice" is starting to get to my head.

I looked into Roxas' room to find the door wide open, but no Roxas. I think he might have gone to check on his cat… So the only option was to ask Sora. I could see Sora was sitting in his chair, looking over the results from a previous experiment. Yep, Sora looks like he can be trusted. It won't hurt to ask him, right?

I slowly walked into the room. Upon hearing me enter, Sora glanced up from his work. He gave me a polite smile.

"Back again I see Xion! Is there something I can help you with?"

I held out my hand with the locket in it in front of him.

"I found this behind the bin by the stairs leading up to the fourth floor. Do you know who it belongs to, or is it yours?"

Sora carefully took the locket from me and held up to the light coming through his window. He curiously twisted the item about in his hands, staring intently at it.

"This is definitely not mine, but it is a pretty little thing. The owner has really looked after this well. I'm afraid I don't know who it belongs to though. Sorry"

He smiled sheepishly as he carefully handed it back to me.

"But I think you should speak to the Technical Officer on the fourth floor. He might know something about it. He has been here for a long time"

I tilted my head to the side a little in confusion.

"Technical Officer?"

Sora nodded and slowly stood up from his chair. I followed him as he walked towards the door and pointed towards the stairs leading up to the fourth floor.

"Mr Kanematsu's office is on the fourth floor. Just go up the stairs and turn to the first door on your right. If you get lost, use the nameplates for help"

I gave Sora a small smile in return.

"Thank you Sora"

He grinned happily in response.

"I'm happy to help!"

* * *

Following Sora's instructions, I took the stairs up to the fourth floor. I should have taken the elevator, but I couldn't be bothered today. For now, I had pushed all thoughts about my sister to one side; however, it wasn't going to be for long. The sooner I find the owner of this locket, the quicker I can get back to finding my sister!

I poked my head around the first door to the right once I had reached the fourth floor. The office was empty. Mr Kanematsu wasn't around. Where could he have gone?

I sighed heavily in annoyance. I guess this means I'll have to ask the office. Maybe I should go and find Larxene. She might be able to help me.

I slowly walked back down to the second floor; however, just as I entered the corridor and began walking past the lounge, I saw a shadow looming on the wall nearby. The shadow was peeking from behind a wall.

"What…?!"

I swirled around to look behind me, and managed to catch a glimpse of black quickly fleeing the scene. Was someone there?!

Making a quick, and what I thought at the time was a stupid one, decision I charged around the corner after them. I froze soon after however when I saw someone standing at the other end of the hallway with a broom in hand. It was a young man who appeared to be in his twenties. At least, that is what it looked like from his face. He had short dark blue hair and light blue eyes. He was wearing a black short sleeved working shirt, with matching trousers and brown boots with laces on them. Was he the one peeking at me from behind the wall…?

As I slowly and cautiously approached him, I noticed there was a nametag on his shirt. It read: Zexion Kanematsu. Oh! I remember now! I saw his name on the bulletin board! He must be the Technical Officer! But then, why was he lurking in the corridors when I came down…?

I shook the thought off as I finally stood in front of him. Zexion looked up at me then, pausing briefly from his cleaning. He must be trying to clean the dust up off the floor. His eyes seemed to be emotionless, which frightened me a little; however I didn't back down.

"Excuse me. I'm sorry to bother you, but I found this locket on the third floor behind one of the bins. Do you know who I need to return it to?"

I held out the hand which was still carrying the locket and showed it to him so he could see it better. Zexion glanced down at the locket, and stared at it curiously in silence. The glint in his eyes changed after a while. He went from being emotionless to almost being… sad? Was that the right word?

"This is… This is Mr Hikari's"

My eyes widened in surprise at that. This locket belongs to Lea?! I never would have guessed!

"He's a D3 student here. You should find him on the third floor. His room is to the far right"

I already knew where the room was; however I didn't let this slip. I only nodded in response.

"T-Thank you"

As I slowly walked away, I thought I felt Zexion's eyes boring into my back. It made me feel really uncomfortable, but I didn't dwell on the matter. Instead I headed back up to the third floor.

The whole way there I found myself feeling really nervous again. After my first encounter with Lea, I didn't know how well this one was going to go either. I was hoping that he didn't think I'd taken the locket.

I took a deep breath in to calm myself when I had finally arrived outside of Lea's door again. I slowly and carefully pushed the door open. This time, upon hearing the door, Lea turned around to face me. When he saw it was me this time, he stared at me in confusion.

I carefully walked forward and held out my hand, showing him the locket in my palm.

"Is this yours? I found it in the corridor behind the bin"

I watched as Lea's cheeks flushed a light pink. He quickly took the locket from my hands and stared at it curiously. I was glad now that I hadn't opened it. I gave him a friendly smile as he glanced back at me again, seeming to be at a loss for words.

"I'm glad you got your locket back! It's beautiful, you know. I can tell you have taken great care of it!"

Lea only stared at me surprised. My smile widened.

"I'm happy you got your locket back. And I'm sorry for bothering you. Have a nice day"

I slowly turned around to leave.

"T-Thank you…"

I froze suddenly. Did Lea just…?

I slowly turned my head to look back at him. I could see a small smile on his lips. It was very faint, but I could just about see it. He thanked me. I gave him a polite smile in return in order to hide my shock. I didn't want to seem rude.

"You're welcome Lea. I'm honestly really happy for you"

However, as I went to leave yet again, I felt his hand grip my wrist tightly. I looked back again to see him look around cautiously before speaking. His voice was as loud as a whisper.

"Go to the library on the fourth floor. Got it memorized?"

He gently released my wrist then and turned back to his computer quickly without saying another word. Go to the library on the fourth floor? What did he mean by that?

Then realisation hit me like a book to the face. Was there something there that could help me find my sister?! Lea is trying to help me, isn't he…? Riku was right after all.

* * *

Deciding to follow Lea's instructions, I left the third floor and went straight up to the fourth. I used the signs for direction and soon found a door on the left in the middle of the corridor saying "Library".

I slowly entered the room, and found myself surrounded by many complicated looking books. These are the same kinds of books my sister would read. I could never understand what they were talking about. And I never understood how she understood what the books said either.

Then suddenly, a bright light caught my eyes. I yelped out of shock and stumbled back a little, using my arm to shield my eyes so I could look for the source. The light appeared to be reflecting off something trapped between two books on a nearby bookshelf. I slowly walked over to it, and nearly gasped.

"H-Huh?!"

Lea's locket was in between the books. But how did it end up here?! I gave it back to Lea, right…?

I took the locket into my trembling hands and stared at it curiously. Perhaps Lea owns more than one locket? I couldn't think of a reasonable explanation for this at all. Maybe I would know if I opened the locket.

I was hesitant to at first, but at last I slowly opened up the locket. I knew that if Lea hadn't wanted me to open the locket, he wouldn't have left it for me here.

Inside it was a folded up piece of paper. I curiously unfolded it to find it was a small note. This had been typed up rather than hand written for some reason. I didn't question why. There was no point in doing so.

The note read: If you are a doll, you can enter.

I raised an eyebrow at the note. What? What did it mean? Enter what? It seems Lea has written this in code. Where haven't I been in this lab yet that perhaps I could check out to solve this riddle?

I put the piece of paper in my pocket and silently left the library. I looked around the fourth floor until my eyes fell upon a room opposite the library. The nameplate said "Computer Room". I wonder…

Curiously, I walked into the room. There were three rows going vertically across the room with computers. I noticed that there was one computer already turned on. It was on the log in screen. I slowly approached it and sat down on the chair in front of it. There were two names on the screen. My name was on there and so was Lea's. Lea must have been at this computer! He's made an account for me.

I decided to select my name. It then asked me for the password. What was the-?

Wait! "If you are a doll, you can enter"! "Doll" must be the password for the computer! Right?

I decided to give it a go. I typed "Doll" into the computer. I had successfully logged in. I see now. Lea's message was code for the computer! The username was my name, "You can enter", and the password was "Doll", "If you are a doll…". I wish I had known this sooner. I really lack when it comes to trying to solve puzzles and such. But why did Lea set up a computer account for me?

That was when I spotted the mail icon in the corner. There was a message for me. I clicked on it curiously. The information stated the following:

**To: Xion**

**From: Lea**

**Subject: None**

So the message was from Lea? And according to the date and time, he sent this as soon as I returned the locket. How odd. Why didn't he tell me directly? Then again, he did whisper when telling me to go to the library. Perhaps my suspicions were right. There is something going on here. Just like with Riku he is trying to make sure no one overhears anything.

I quickly scanned the room behind me to make sure there was no one in here before I opened the message and began to read it. Lea had said the following:

_Please forget about your sister. She doesn't exist. Don't ask people in the lab. You don't realise how special this lab is. You and "your sister" were involved in it. You're connected to all of this. You need to get out of here now._

_If you go back to the entrance, you will be killed. There is someone there, waiting for you. Use the emergency exit on the fourth floor to escape. Run. Run out of here and don't look back. I know this is hard for you to take in, but you have to listen to me Xion. Don't come back. _

_You got that memorised Xion? Whatever you do, please don't come back._

I sat there, staring at the message in shock and bewilderment. My sister… doesn't exist? No… No. That can't be possible! I have memories of her! That is not true! It isn't true, right?!

I took a deep and shaky breath then. Alright, calm down Xion. No need to panic. I need to record this to the CD-ROM I bought from the convenient store. I knew it would come in handy at some point! I can show this to someone else then!

As I put the CD-ROM into the computer and transferred the data from the message, my thoughts continued to go wild from what I had just read. I'm going to get killed…? Why would I get killed? What have I done? I couldn't understand or process anything. It was really hurting my head.

* * *

Once I had got the data onto the CD-ROM and placed it back into my pocket, I logged out of the computer and quickly walked out into the hallway. I'm really frightened now. There is no way Lea is playing around. Something doesn't feel right about this place anymore. I have a feeling that someone here is responsible for this whole problem involving my sister, and I'm just another pawn. My sister's disappearance, Riku's suicide, and Lea's email… What do they all mean? This is all so strange and frightening.

I need to get out of here. Lea told me to head straight to the emergency exit on the fourth floor. I'm already on the fourth floor. So where is the…?

I looked down the other end of the corridor to find a stairwell leading downwards. Unlike where the stairs were for the fourth floor, it had a door that looked similar to the one in front of the third floor for the student rooms. Following Lea's instructions, I quickly ran down the other end of the corridor and down the stairwell as fast as I could go, shoving the door open roughly as I went. I'm not staying here another minute. I can't!

In my haste, I forgot that I was trying to sneak out through the emergency exit. I paused halfway down the stairs when I realised I was making too much noise. My footsteps were echoing off the walls continuously. I should have thought about this before I went dashing down the stairs, shouldn't I?

I continued my way down the stairs as quickly and quietly as possible, until the back door to the lab opened. Someone was coming. Out of panic I hid behind the wall. It was Xigbar. I watched as Xigbar quietly headed in my direction. He seemed really suspicious about something.

"Meow!"

I blinked in surprise. There was a black cat near the door. Xigbar frowned at it in confusion and then shook his head dismissively.

"Tch. I knew it was nothing to worry about! Shoo, you flee-bag! Shoo!"

The cat quickly ran off as Xigbar went to kick it. That must be Roxas' cat. Grumbling under his breath, he stormed back into the lab, shutting the door behind him. I sighed heavily in relief. That was close.

Relieved, I quickly ran back towards the gate from the entrance. I was tempted to turn around and look back; however I remembered Lea's warning. I'll look back once I'm off the premises and near the alleyway.

I got through the gate without a problem and reached the alleyway. That was when I decided to stop and look back. I saw Lea staring at me through his window. He gave me a small wave and weak smile, pointing at the alleyway for me to continue. I held up a thumb to show I was thankful before I dashed down the alleyway as quickly as possible.

* * *

Once I reached the main street, I paused for a moment to catch my breath. I bent over a little, placing my hands on my knees. I have never run so much in my life.

I jumped however and stumbled back as someone appeared beside me. I was relieved when it was only a little girl. She stared at me confused.

"Are you ok?"

I nodded slowly, smiling.

"Yes, I'm fine. Sorry. I'm in a hurry. I just stopped to catch my breath"

The little girl tilted her head to the side curiously.

"Why are you two in a hurry?"

Wait… Did she just say…? I shook the thoughts aside.

"I'm sorry! I can't stop and talk!"

I quickly walked away from her. I could have sworn she said "two".

Once I had got far away from the University, I started to run again. I wasn't going to hang around here. I was relieved when I started seeing people around. I have to get back to my sister's apartment.

* * *

_December 19th, Evening…_

I quickly ran into my sister's apartment once I had unlocked the door and slammed said door shut behind me soon after. My back slowly slid down the door as I sat down on the floor, breathing heavily. What has just happened…? I couldn't comprehend anything. I was tired, and my head hurt. So this morning, Riku committed suicide at the subway. Later on, I sought help from Lea Hikari. He was the only one out of the six students there who helped me with my sister's disappearance properly.

Speaking of Lea… I realised I still had the locket in my pocket. I carefully took it out and stared at it curiously. I'll need to return this again, won't I? But Lea told me not to go back to the lab. What should I do…?

I opened up the locket again. I saw a picture there. My eyes widened in horror. T-The picture… It was of a girl who looked exactly like me, but she had auburn hair that went past her shoulders. I'm confused. Is that… supposed to be me? But my hair is black and short. How did Lea…?

I should have felt really uncomfortable about this. And yet for some reason, I didn't. Why does Lea have a picture of a girl who looks like me…? I can't understand Lea's attitude towards me though. He left a piece of paper in the locket in the library. The memo was like a riddle. He made an account for me on the computer. And then he warned me to leave before I get killed and that my sister doesn't exist in an email. But why did he…?

I glanced up then and stared at something folded up on the sofa. That wasn't there when I left this morning…

I slowly stood up and approached it to find the items were clothing. There was a light peach long sleeved jumper, along with a short sleeved white shirt, a blue and white tie, a dark blue skirt, knee high dark blue socks, and brown shoes. This is just like the uniform required for the lab!

A note was attached to the jumper. I carefully peeled it off and read the contents out loud. It said:

_I know you won't listen to me and will come back to the lab anyway. You were always so curious and can't stand when a question is left unanswered. I should have realised that… So I've left you your uniform. If you wear this when you go back to the lab tomorrow, none of the staff should question you then. Just... promise you'll be careful. Got it memorised? _

_D3 Hikari_

I stared at the note in bewilderment. Lea has helped me again. But what did he mean by that sentence…? "You were always so curious and can't stand when a question is left unanswered". How does he know me? Why does he act like he knows me? Or was I just tired?

I guess I should head off to bed. I can sort out everything in the morning, right?

* * *

I opened my eyes to the sound of familiar laughter. Huh? Where am I? It was my laughter. It was a child's happy laughter. I remember… My sister told me a joke that I found really funny. I couldn't stop laughing for ages. But, why am I thinking of my sister here…?

We used to fight in our childhood sometimes. We fought over the TV channels. I always wanted to watch cartoons. And she wanted to watch the science channels, which was always difficult for me to follow… In the end, I was always the one who would burst into tears. And then she would let me watch what I wanted to on the TV.

Our Father was rarely ever there. It was just the two of us. My sister was always beside me. We experienced moments of sadness, moments of happiness, moments of laughter, moments of anger, but no matter what my sister was always there for me.

There was a festival that we used to go to every summer. We would always stick close together and wear matching outfits. But for some reason we stopped going. I can never remember why…

On one of those summer days, I remember a boy came round to come and meet her. I teased my sister about her having a crush on him, and she would always get so embarrassed and flustered that her face went a bright red, a bit like a tomato. It always made me laugh.

We always celebrated everything together. I remember one time… Ha ha. This memory always makes me laugh. On the night of Christmas Eve, since our Father wasn't home, she pretended to be Santa Clause. She waited until I was asleep in my room, before tip-toeing in there and trying to place the drawing she had made me on my bedside. She knelt on my hand by accident when leaning over my bed, and I woke up. This frightened her and she tumbled off the bed. The two of us sat up at the same and looked at each other, before laughing heartily. I remember after that she said to me, "I thought you still believed in Santa, Xion!".

But the drawing that I got on that day, the drawing of the teddy bear, I have kept it ever since. I've been taking good care of it. I realise now that I feel so alone. I don't feel like sleeping, and yet I can't tell if I am really asleep or not. Am I dreaming? I don't want to wait around in case I have another nightmare…

Oh. That's reminded me about the woman I saw in my dream the other night. I still can't remember who she is. I feel like she is someone really important, but… I can't place my finger on why. But this woman... She is connected to my sister, isn't she? She has to be right? Sister...

Sister… What has happened to you? Where are you?


	4. Chapter 4: More Confusion

**Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and followed this story. And also thank you to those who have been reading it. I am glad this story is finally getting support and that people enjoy reading it.**

**So I've given you Chapter 4, in which I have confused things even more. There is a certain scene I have added into this chapter that isn't shown in the game. I'm just trying to spice things up a bit. Hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

Chapter 4: More Confusion

I slowly opened my eyes to find myself back in the bedroom of my sister's apartment. Sunlight was flooding into the room. I must have forgotten to shut the curtains last night before I fell asleep. I was also surprised that my sleep this time around had been fairly calm. I hadn't experienced any nightmares or dreams about that woman since yesterday. I wasn't sure if that was a good or bad sign.

My eyes then fell upon the bedside table. There lay Lea's locket, still open and showing the girl who resembles me. My eyes widened. I need to give that back to him today!

I was soon on my feet and dressed in the uniform that Lea had given me. I stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom, comparing my reflection to the girl in the locket once I had changed into it. Somehow, I thought she might be connected to all of this. She wasn't my sister. I know that for a fact. And yet the two of us looked so alike. It frightened me a little. Who was she? Maybe I should ask Lea this when I give him back the locket.

I took my rucksack with me this time after emptying the clothes out of it and leaving them on the sofa for the time being. I could come back and tidy this up later. I placed the CD-ROM in there so that it was safe, along with my sister's drawing, the spare apartment key, Riku's memo, Lea's puzzle, Lea's note and Lea's locket. I took one last look at the apartment before I quickly walked out onto the main street.

As I walked back towards the lab, my mind trailed back to yesterday's accident… I felt really uneasy, especially since I still had my doubts that Riku was the one who committed suicide. Just because he never turned up to the lab yesterday, doesn't mean that accident is linked to it. Riku might have been ill, right? Everyone has an off day once in a while!

And yet my stomach continued to churn. If that had been Riku, would Lea do the same thing…? After all, Lea did help me. He had done it discreetly. It was something Lea shouldn't have done, and he knew that. Riku did too, and yet they both helped me anyway. If their lives are at risk, I am going to feel so guilty. They are both doing this because of me. I know I want to find my sister, but I don't want people dying for it! I have to get to the lab. I have to see if he's okay! I have to see if Riku is there too! I'm sure… I'm sure they're fine!

I decided to pick up the pace, and ran through the alleyway leading towards the lab. I didn't bother checking to see if there was anyone around this time. My thoughts were all circulating around Lea.

Why would he need to commit suicide anyway? This lab is so strange and secretive. I've noticed that with quite a few people. I don't know if it's because the lab is only for those who are really intelligent, but there is something going on in there. Otherwise Riku and Lea wouldn't have been acting so discreetly or looking so scared. It makes no sense though. Why do they fear people in the lab? Are they being blackmailed? Is there an unknown spy amongst them and so they don't know who to trust?

* * *

The gatekeeper once again didn't acknowledge me when I dashed past him and into the building. He didn't seem to care. Even when I was passing various members of staff as I ran through the corridors, they didn't care. Lea was right about me wearing the uniform then. For some reason I thought taking the stairs seemed quicker, since the elevator looked a bit packed. But again I didn't care.

Once I finally reached the third floor, I headed straight for Riku's room. I opened the door and quickly looked in to find he wasn't there again. I felt my chest tighten. Is it really true then? No. I haven't checked Lea's room yet!

I headed for the room to the left of Riku's and quickly poked my head around it. I sighed heavily in relief. Lea was still there. He was sitting at his desk, typing away on the computer. He was okay. I was glad.

I slowly walked into the room then.

"Lea…?"

Lea slowly turned around to face me. I noticed he was staring at me blankly for some reason. I found this slightly suspicious, but let it pass. I have gotten used to him doing strange things by now.

"I'm busy right now. Come back later. Got it memorised?"

I watched as Lea slowly turned back to face his computer again, continuing with his typing. I raised an eyebrow. Why does this seem so odd…?

"Lea, can we please talk for a second…? I only came back so I could return your locket"

I watched as Lea repeated the same action as before. He slowly turned around to face me again.

"I'm busy right now. Come back later. Got it memorised?"

He turned back to his computer again. Something is definitely wrong here. I tried again for a third time.

"Lea, please"

Again he repeated the same actions.

"I'm busy right now. Come back later. Got it memorised?"

He was continually making the exact same movements. There were no changes in his stance at all. His eyes still remained blank and emotionless. And his voice sounded monotone. He just kept repeating the same words over and over.

"Lea, what's the matter? Why are you repeating the same things over and over?"

Lea was acting like a machine.

"I'm busy right now. Come back later. Got it memorised?"

I held my head. What the heck is going on?! I decided to move a bit closer. I gently placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Lea, why won't you- AH!"

I shrieked loudly and stared down at my hand in a mixture of shock and confusion. My hand had gone through Lea's shoulder… It had _literally_ gone through Lea's shoulder. Lea fuzzed a little and became transparent. But he didn't move from his original position. He repeated the same action again, with my hand still penetrating his shoulder.

"I'm busy right now. Come back later. Got it memorised?"

I heard a door slam open from further down the corridor.

"I heard a scream!"

"Where did it come from?"

"Lea's room!"

"Is everything alright?!"

"I don't know Roxas! Stop asking me questions!"

"Sora, calm down! Let's just go and see what's wrong!"

"Why are you two panicking?"

"There was a scream from Lea's room apparently"

"A scream?"

"Yes! Now come on!"

Those were the voices of Namine, Roxas, and Sora. I stumbled away from Lea in shock as the trio came charging into the room. I was trembling horridly by this point.

"Xion, what's the matter?" Roxas asked, concerned.

I pointed a shaky hand towards Lea.

"M-My hand went straight through Lea's shoulder! There's something wrong!"

Roxas frowned at me confused. He decided to test this theory out for himself. He slowly walked forward and tried to prod Lea's ear with his index finger. It went straight through his head. Roxas gasped and stumbled back a little.

"Holy Kingdom Hearts! You weren't kidding!"

Sora seemed to grasp hold of this situation quickly. He chuckled a little.

"Calm down guys. This is just a hologram of Lea"

I frowned at Sora confused.

"A… hologram?"

Sora nodded stiffly, turning back to "Lea" sat in the chair.

"Yep. I passed Lea's room a couple of times and saw him working on this. It's nothing to be afraid of. The real Lea is fine"

Roxas sighed heavily in relief.

"Phew. That explains things"

"What is going on in here?"

Everyone turned to see Isa enter the room with an annoyed look on his face. Sora rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"Nothing Isa! Xion just met Lea's hologram! That's all!"

Roxas suddenly turned to the window as a bag dropped down from the roof. We all jumped suddenly as it flew past the window. Roxas and Namine quickly walked over to it and looked out, slightly shaken.

"W-What was that? Is that a bag?"

Namine frowned suspiciously.

"That looks like Lea's bag…"

Roxas frowned at her confused, as did Sora.

"Lea's bag?" Sora repeated. "Why would- Oh Kingdom Hearts!"

Everyone's eyes widened as a mixture of red and peach dropped past the window. Sora, Isa and I ran to the window, only to watch as the object smacked hard into the ground near where the bag lay. Blood splattered everywhere. We all stumbled away from the window, trembling horridly. T-That was…

"W-Was that Lea…?"

"Lea… Oh no…"

Roxas was shaking his head.

"No… No! Please, no! Did Lea just…?"

Lea had just jumped from the roof of the building and committed suicide. My fears had come true. Sora was at a loss for words. I could see he was trembling.

"I-I can't believe Lea jumped from… Why did he do it…?"

Isa placed a hand to his head.

"I'll go and ask the office to ring the police immediately"

Isa quickly ran off and down towards the second floor. Four of us remained in the room. I had no idea what to do. I felt like crying. I was trembling horridly.

"I'm busy right now. Come back later. Got it memorised?"

Sora and Roxas yelped and tried to get past each other towards the doorway. They thought the dead spoke, when in fact it was Lea's hologram. It had come from a voice on the computer. Namine slowly walked over to it. Namine stared curiously at the hologram.

"I'm surprised. Lea has made a very good hologram. He progressed quite well…"

Sora stood beside her, staring at the computer curiously.

"It seems this is programmed to react to sound. That must be why he spoke"

"So Lea made it look like he was still in his room…?" Roxas questioned.

Sora nodded.

"Exactly Roxas. Exactly. Question is: Why…?"

Namine turned off the computer then. The hologram vanished, and then the tragedy seemed more real. Isa came running back in, breathless.

"I've alerted Mr Tanabu. He's called the police. They are on the way"

Isa placed a hand to his chin in thought then.

"I still can't believe it though. A 3D hologram… So Hikari created sensors to make the hologram react when someone talked? Impressive"

Isa seemed to be looking too calm to me. He didn't seem shocked about this at all. Namine was the same. I could see she was saddened in her eyes though, but it was as if the two had expected this to happen at some point. Sora was trembling like a leaf still, trying to calm himself down. And Roxas was quite shaken, looking like he was going to cry. I was like Roxas. This whole event had left the majority scarred and traumatised. If only I had gotten here sooner, I could have stopped Lea before he did something stupid.

* * *

Once the police arrived, Xigbar moved everyone into the lounge so that we could calm down. Larxene was currently being interrogated by the police. Zexion was nowhere to be found, which seemed quite suspicious to me. The only people in here were me, Sora, Roxas, Namine, Isa and of course Xigbar. Roxas sat down on a nearby chair and placed a hand to his head.

"What the heck…? Why did Lea commit suicide…?"

He had said the thing that was on everyone's mind. Sora slowly paced around the room.

"I don't know Roxas. Maybe his research reached a dead or something?"

"Lea wouldn't commit suicide over something like that" Namine argued.

She was currently sat down on a chair too, staring down at her lap awkwardly. I was also sat down. Xigbar was stood by the door. And Isa had his back up against the wall. Roxas nodded.

"I agree with Namine. Lea wouldn't do that. I had noticed though that he had been acting strange recently…"

"Since when?" Xigbar questioned, curiously.

"A couple of days ago"

The same day I first came into the lab… That was also two days ago, right…? Isa folded his arms.

"Is Hikari's death really suicide?"

Xigbar turned to look at him in alarm, as did everyone else. That statement had just come out of nowhere.

"W-What?! What are you saying, kid?! If this isn't suicide then-"

"It could be murder. I'm not really sure. I shouldn't have brought it up…"

I raised my eyebrow out of suspicion towards Isa. Why did he suddenly backtrack on what he was trying to say…?

"Are we sure that Lea jumped from the roof?" Namine questioned.

Xigbar scoffed.

"Well, isn't it obvious?"

Namine kept her gaze to her lap.

"I was just asking… And anyway, why did he make a hologram of himself and then act like he was still in his room? I know the program was made for his research, but why did he program it just before he died…?"

Everyone fell silent at that. They couldn't answer Namine's question. Then out of the blue, Roxas stood up suddenly.

"Hey, did anyone call Lea's family?"

I noticed everyone sadly looked down at the floor. Xigbar coughed awkwardly.

"H-He doesn't have one kiddo…"

My eyes widened a little at that. Lea didn't have any family? Aw…

"He had neither parents nor siblings. And of course he was not married. Even though we like to and should call, he has no relatives…"

"The majority of students or people at this lab are like Lea too" Namine added quietly, her gaze still cast on her lap.

I noticed everyone slowly nodded in agreement with Namine. I wonder how many people there are here who don't have family… That is quite strange and sad to think about. But they nodded as if they knew what she was talking about. How strange…

Once the police had finished with their investigation, everyone was dismissed from the room. However when I went to leave, a hand suddenly grabbed my shoulder firmly. I looked back to see it was Xigbar.

"By the way, who are you really? You said you're looking for your sister, but what is your real purpose? I have been quiet up until now Miss Kamijo, but I'm annoyed that even after what we've said you've still been coming back here"

I noticed Roxas, Sora and Namine had halted in the corridors and had looked back to see this display. They didn't say anything. They just watched. I frowned at Xigbar. He was really starting to get on my nerves now.

"You have no right in saying that! What did you do to my sister?!"

Xigbar backed away from me, stunned by my response. Isa had stayed in the room. He raised an eyebrow at me.

"Do you mean we know your sister and that we've been hiding her from you this whole time?"

All I could do was glare at Isa. I couldn't answer. I couldn't stay in this room another minute! My whole body was shaking as I quickly turned around and left the room. I hated being watched. And I didn't want to discuss the topic any longer.

* * *

I stormed down the stairs back to the first floor and came outside to the entrance. The police were still there by the looks of things. I guess that means I can't leave the premises just yet.

I sighed heavily and stared at my bag curiously. The CD-ROM was still in there. It was the same CD-ROM that I had put Lea's information onto. I thought I was getting so close to finding my sister. And now the only person who can help me is dead. Lea committed suicide. I felt really awful. Maybe it was my fault that Lea…

But what could I do now? I'm carrying data around that I don't understand. Isn't there anyone else here who could help me?

That was when I heard a loud "meow" sound from the left. Is that Roxas' cat again…?

I decided to go and investigate. I followed the noises towards an area that looked like an incinerator. They seemed to be coming from behind there. Was the cat stuck?

I cautiously walked towards the incinerator and tried to look around. It was dark behind there. It was quite hard for me to see actually. I could still hear the cat though. I felt really bad. Maybe I could do something to help it. I took a daring step forward, and then slowly I started walking around the back of the incinerator, trying to follow the cat's cries. Where about was the cat? If only it wasn't so dark down here…

Then suddenly out of nowhere a familiar face appeared in front of me. I screamed and fell back, landing on my butt on the ground. It was the woman from my dream with her missing eyes. Her scream of agony sounded through my head again. I cringed and closed my eyes tightly.

"Get away from me!"

I waited a few moments before deciding to open my eyes again. The woman was gone. She wasn't there. I sighed heavily in relief, slowly standing up and dusting off my skirt.

(It must have been my imagination…)

But why did she appear again? I wasn't even thinking about her. What is wrong with my head…?

Then I felt something brush against my leg. I yelped and jumped back out of fright. It seems that whatever had been there was also scared too, since I heard a loud hissing sound and little paws bounding away from the back of the incinerator. I glanced after it to see a black cat quickly bound its way around the corner. I placed a hand to my head. So that's where the cat went…?

"Hey, there you are!"

I froze at the sound of the familiar voice, along with a loud purr coming from the cat. It was Roxas. He must have come down here to look for his pet. That definitely must be his cat then. I stayed still however when I heard footsteps approach the back of the incinerator. A familiar looking shadow loomed on the wall where the light was, growing larger until Roxas finally appeared into view. His eyes fell upon me. I could tell he was confused.

"Xion? So you were behind here! I thought I heard a yelp that sounded familiar. Is everything okay?"

I slowly nodded as I walked over to him. The two of us stood in the light now. He had his jumper wrapped around his waist.

"Yes, I'm fine. I just… had a bit of a fright"

Roxas folded his arms suspiciously.

"What were you doing behind there anyway?"

"I heard your cat behind here and I thought it was stuck. So, I tried to help it. I guess I was wrong about it being stuck though. The cat was fine…"

I chuckled sheepishly, rubbing the back of my head. Roxas slowly nodded, yet I could see uncertainty in his expression. I sighed heavily.

"You don't suspect me too, do you Roxas? You don't think I have something to do with Lea committing suicide, right?"

Roxas casually shrugged.

"I don't really know. You were right back there though. Xigbar had no right to put you on the spot like that. Yet I'm confused as to why you're wearing the uniform of the lab, even though you don't go here, and no one has questioned you on the matter"

"It's a long story…"

I trailed off then as my eyes widened in realisation. Roxas frowned a little.

"Xion…?"

The CD-ROM! I should try and ask Roxas for help. I quickly began rummaging through my bag, taking out the disk and holding it out towards Roxas.

"Roxas, could you perhaps help me with this?"

Roxas studied my face for a moment as if he was trying to work out what I was thinking. Then hesitantly he took the CD-ROM from my hands and held it in his own, staring intently at the disk. He twisted it around in his hands curiously.

"That depends. What's on this disk?"

I quickly looked around to make sure no one was in hearing distance before speaking, lowering my voice just in case.

"There is data on that disk from an email that was sent to me by Lea yesterday-"

"What?!"

"Shush!"

I quickly hushed him.

"Please keep your voice down Roxas. We can't risk not knowing who in this lab can't be trusted"

Roxas blinked at me in confusion before nodding slowly.

"Right. Sorry. Please continue"

I looked around again before carrying on.

"I need help in trying to decode what it says. And could you also have a look at this note?"

I took the note that Lea had left me when I found the uniform in my sister's apartment and carefully passed it to him. Roxas stared at the note, quickly skim reading it.

"That was left with the uniform in my sister's apartment. I think it might help us get to the bottom of why Lea committed suicide"

Roxas continued to stare at the two items I had left in his hand. He glanced up at me, nodding stiffly.

"Alright. I'll have a look at both of these things and see what I can come up with. Meet me back here in the evening. I should have it analysed for you then"

I gave Roxas a warm smile. I was glad he had agreed.

"Thank you, really thank you. You have no idea how grateful I am for this"

Roxas gave me a small smile in response before quickly dashing off. I looked around. I wonder what I can do now… I might as well stay here. Perhaps staying out of sight would be a wise thing for me to do for now, especially after that argument with Xigbar in front of everyone. I hope evening comes soon…

* * *

Roxas quickly ran through the corridor of the third floor and through the door into the student rooms. He darted for his own, quickly shutting the door behind him. He stared back down at the CD-ROM in his hand and Lea's note. His eyes went over Lea's hand writing once again as he slowly walked over to his desk.

(I can see why Xion is confused. It seems like Lea knows her for some reason, and yet Xion and him never met properly until yesterday…)

Just as Roxas placed the CD-ROM into his computer, he heard a loud thud coming from the room next door.

"Isa, what are you doing?! You nearly made me jump!"

That was Namine. That thud had come from Namine's room. Roxas was suspicious now. He quickly hid Lea's note under a pile of textbooks on his desk and slowly walked over to his door. He quietly and slowly opened it to see Isa standing in the doorway of Namine's room. He was leaning against the doorframe with his arms folded. His back was to the corridor.

"I apologise. I didn't mean to open your door with such force"

Roxas heard the sound of shuffling papers, and a metal cabinet opening and closing coming from within the room. Namine let out a loud sigh.

"What do you want Isa? This isn't really a good time for us to be conversing"

Roxas saw Isa raise an eyebrow.

"And why not?"

The movement within the room suddenly stopped.

"Because of what has happened to Lea! That's why!"

Namine sounded angry. This wasn't like her… Had this incident with Lea gotten to her head? Roxas saw Isa smirk.

"Well, well, someone has a temper, don't they? I'm surprised at you White. I always thought you were so calm and collected. This isn't like you at all"

Roxas heard more shuffling as silence filled the room.

"You wouldn't understand…"

Namine's voice had been lowered now. Her tone however was still quite venomous. Isa chuckled.

"Ah, of course. You, Hikari and Dawn were the first arrivals at this lab I do believe. It is natural for you three to have some form of friendship, isn't it?"

Namine said nothing to that. Roxas continued to listen as more papers were shuffled around, followed by typing, and then the cabinet being opened and closed again. Isa watched Namine casually in silence, not seeming to find this awkward at all.

Just as Roxas was about to go back into his room, Namine finally spoke.

"Why are you still here Isa? What do you want?"

Namine still sounded very annoyed. Isa finally stood up straight in the doorway, but his arms were still folded.

"I just wanted to know your opinion of Miss Kamijo…"

Namine seemed to pause again with her work.

"Xion…? What about her?"

"Don't you think that ever since Miss Kamijo has come asking about "her sister" that strange things have started happening? What with Hikari's suicide and Dawn's mysterious disappearance…"

Namine gulped loudly. Roxas heard that. Isa raised an eyebrow again.

"What's the matter White? You've gone pale…"

"Haven't you heard…?"

"Heard what?"

"Haven't you heard why Riku isn't here…?"

"What do you mean?"

The room fell silent again for a moment or two.

"Didn't you know why Sora was crying this morning?"

Isa's eyes widened.

"You don't mean…?"

There was a brief pause before Namine spoke again. She had probably nodded.

"I do. Lea isn't the only one who committed suicide…"

Roxas' eyes widened at this.

(R-Riku committed suicide too?! Oh no…)

"When was this?"

"Yesterday apparently. He jumped in front of the train on the subway"

"When did you hear about this?"

"It was shortly after I left the lab last night"

"Tch. That explains why you were a nervous wreck when you came in this morning…"

"And what is that supposed to mean Crescent?"

"Nothing White. Nothing"

"You said a similar thing to Xigbar in the lounge when you suggested Lea was murdered!"

"It was merely a suggestion. I wasn't implying anything. And stop going off topic!"

"How am I going off topic?!"

"You still haven't answered my question"

"About Xion?"

"Yes"

"And why should I answer? Are you suspecting me of killing Lea?"

"Not at all"

There was a pause before Namine continued.

"Do you suspect Xion?"

"Possibly"

"Why?"

"Destiny clearly pointed out in the lounge that Hikari didn't start acting weird until Miss Kamijo first arrived here two days ago"

"That doesn't mean anything! Xion couldn't have killed him. She was with us when Lea jumped from the roof"

"But it does. I'm not saying Miss Kamijo committed the act. I'm saying she's the cause of the act"

A loud huff sounded from Namine.

"Isa, you are talking nonsense. Lea had only just met Xion yesterday. How could she have possibly had anything to do with his suicide?"

"Perhaps she resembled someone Hikari once knew who he really cared about"

"There wasn't anyone who Lea really cared about besides his friends at the lab. That's all. Now would you kindly let me work?"

There was the sound of more papers being shuffled before Isa's attention was diverted to somewhere in the room. Roxas watched as Isa's gaze focused on the area where Namine's desk is.

"What's that?"

"What's-"

Namine quickly halted mid-sentence. After a few seconds, Roxas heard something get snatched up from the desk.

"It's nothing"

"Then why hide it?"

"Because it's none of your business Isa!"

"Is there something you're not telling me White?"

Roxas heard Namine's chair smack hard against the floor within the room. A loud bang sounded as something made contact with the desk.

"Get out Isa! You have no right to go through my personal belongings and interrogate me about my friends' deaths!"

A long silence filled the room before Isa chuckled and slowly turned around to walk out the room.

"Very well White. If that is how you feel…"

Roxas quickly went back into his room as Isa closed Namine's door behind him. He waited silently until Isa's footsteps walked back to his own room, before letting out a long sigh of relief.

(I wonder what that was all about…)

Roxas' eyes fell back towards the computer. He remembered why he was here in the first place.

(Oh! Xion's CD-ROM! I need to check the data!)

And with that, Roxas quickly got to work. Yet Namine's and Isa's current argument began to play heavily on his mind while doing so.

(I wonder why Isa was being so interrogative towards Namine. And I wonder what Namine wouldn't let Isa look at. This is all so odd. People's nerves have changed ever since these events have taken place. I hope this disk will give us some answers…)

* * *

The sun had started to set by now. Evening was fast approaching. I was still wondering where Roxas was. Was I being too hasty…?

I had been sitting behind the incinerator for a long time now. It had been quite terrifying on my own, but I hadn't really noticed. My thoughts had been on Lea. I was trying to connect his suicide with Riku's. I had a feeling they both had done this for a reason. That reason was because of my sister. It had to be. They were trying to escape from someone who knows what has happened to my sister. They were giving me information they weren't supposed to. They were going against the person who is concocting everything, and yet they both still helped me anyway. Lea even went as far as to give me a warning. Perhaps that is why he told me not to come back to the lab. Perhaps his suicide was pre-planned.

I jumped at the sound of footsteps coming towards the incinerator. I sighed in relief when I noticed it was Roxas slowly walking towards me. He was looking around to make sure no one was following him before he joined me at the back of the incinerator. He handed me back the note and CD-ROM.

"So, what have you found out?"

Roxas checked again to make sure no one was there before he started talking.

"Quoting Lea, "Please forget about your sister. She doesn't exist. Don't ask people in the lab. You don't realise how special this lab is. You and "your sister" were involved in it", he has obviously confused me with this. I think the first sentence might mean that your sister is somewhere in the lab. "She doesn't exist" clearly means that he's telling you she isn't real. And yet he says after that "Don't ask people in the lab". Lea seems to contradict himself with his words; although I am not entirely sure why. It is clear however that Lea knows something about your sister"

Roxas placed a hand to the back of his head as he thought things over.

"If your sister was in the lab before, there has to be a document. All the students here had to send in a resume in order for them to be accepted into this lab. You do know what a resume is, right?"

I nodded stiffly. I briefly remember my sister trying to write her resume to send it off to the lab.

"But you already asked Xigbar when you first came here, didn't you?"

"Yep. Of course I did. But Xigbar said he had never heard of her. The same goes for Larxene too. I feel wrong in what I'm about to say, but ever since I read Lea's email, I have become certain that there are people in this lab who are lying. They're hiding something"

Roxas folded his arms as he stared at me curiously.

"I can understand why you feel that way. Ever since you've showed up, I've noticed the behaviour in the lab has changed dramatically. Everyone is becoming suspicious of each other…"

He stared at me worriedly then.

"You didn't think I was one of the people who could be lying, right?"

I shook my head quickly.

"No. I didn't suspect you. As you said, you were on the first year of the Master Course. You and Sora have probably been here the same amount of time, and both of you aren't as aware as the others. The real suspects are the ones who have been at this lab the longest"

"So the main suspects really are Namine and Isa. Namine has been here for the same amount of time as Lea, and I believe Isa has also. And ever since Lea's suicide, I've noticed those two have been acting weird. They had an argument earlier while I was trying to look over the disk. Isa was interrogating Namine for some reason on Lea's death"

Roxas sighed heavily after that.

"I guess that's all I can tell you. I can't think of anything else"

I frowned in thought for a moment. Roxas said something about resumes, didn't he? And the resumes will probably be kept in Professor Mikozuka's room, since he is the head of the lab, right? And if I can find my sister's resume, I can prove that she does come to this lab and that they are hiding something, right?

A determined look came over my face, which caused Roxas to raise his eyebrow at me in confusion.

"What's with the sudden determination?"

"I'm going to sneak into the lab tonight"

Roxas' eyes widened at me in horror.

"What?! Are you crazy?! If you get caught, you can get arrested for trespassing!"

"I don't care…"

I glanced back towards the lab as the sun slowly reached halfway. The area was starting to become quite dark. Night would fall soon.

"That lab knows something about my sister. I need to be sure that my sister is definitely there, and the only way to do so is by finding her resume"

Roxas stared at me in surprise. He didn't know what to say. He seemed really speechless.

"B-But how are you going to do it?"

I smirked, folding my arms.

"It's simple. I'll just make it seem like I've left the premises and hide behind the incinerator until it gets dark enough. Once everyone has left, I will search Professor Mikozuka's room for the resume"

Roxas shook his head quickly.

"You can't though. After today's incident both rooms have been locked. There will be people staying overnight in the lab"

All determination within me was suddenly crushed.

"Oh right… I forgot about that…"

I realised now how stupid I had sounded. I couldn't do this alone, could I? There was no way that was possible. I would easily get caught if I were to try.

Roxas stared at me silently for a moment before determination flashed across his face. Now I was the one who was confused.

"I'm going to help you then!"

What?! Did Roxas just…?!

"Eh?! Roxas, no! I don't want you getting into trouble because of me! It's bad enough that both Riku and Lea are gone! I don't want the same thing to happen to you too!"

Roxas smiled at me warmly.

"Hey, I have never seen someone so determined to help their sibling out. It's only fair. You want the information, and you should get it. And you can't do it alone anyway. With my help I can lure the secretary out of the room and pretend I'm asking for assistance. I'll buy you enough time to find your sister's resume"

"Roxas…"

I stared at Roxas surprised. I can't believe he's so willing to help me, despite everything that has been happening ever since my arrival… He seemed to trust me after all now that he had seen the evidence for himself. And he was just as curious as I was about what was going on.

I gave Roxas a small smile and quickly hugged him. I felt him stiffen from surprise. He hadn't been expecting that.

"Thank you! You don't know how grateful I am to finally find someone who can help me find my sister!"

After a short while I felt Roxas return the hug. I heard him chuckle awkwardly.

"It's no problem. You don't seem like anyone suspicious anyway. I can tell you were just caught up in this on accident"

The two of us parted after a short while. Roxas turned back to face the building.

"And now all we have to do is wait"

I nodded stiffly. I think I'm finally getting somewhere with my sister's disappearance. I'm glad. Sister, just hang in there okay? I'll find you soon. I promise.

* * *

**Just to clear something up, there will be a hint of romance in this because it is featured in the game, but it won't be between Xion and Roxas. That hug was a /friendly/ hug, okay? They are not a couple/ Just saying. XD **

**But thank you all for the support. I honestly hope it is continued. The support is giving me motivation to continue this, as it is with my other stories too. But I hope you did enjoy this chapter.**


	5. Chapter 5: Trick of the eyes?

**So this chapter took a lot longer than expected, but I finally got it done. Thank you again to everyone who has reviewed, favourited, read and followed this fanfic. Your continued support is greatly appreciated. And so I give you Chapter 5, where I confuse things _again._ XD**

* * *

Chapter 5: Trick of the Eyes?

_December 20__th__, Evening…_

Roxas and I remained hidden behind the incinerator. It had grown dark now, but it wasn't quite time yet for us to descend towards the building. We hid in the shadows to make sure we weren't spotted. Roxas and I had been in silence for quite some time, trying to ponder things over.

"The email from Lea…"

I glanced at Roxas confused as he said that. I was sat down, while his back was leaning against the wall. He had put his jumper on now the temperature around here had dropped.

"It says the lab is special. What did you think about that?"

I frowned in thought at his words as Roxas slowly lifted his head up to look at me.

"I thought it was… strange to say. But I didn't question it to anyone. I thought that was quite rude of me to say so"

Roxas chuckled a little at my response before placing his hands in his pockets. He stared out towards the lab intently.

"This lab… It looks like a normal lab in a graduate school, doesn't it?"

I nodded; although I don't think Roxas noticed anyway.

"But actually, our research and experiments are solely focused around ethical problems. Of course, only the students are supposed to know this. That is why only students with a recommendation are accepted"

I frowned at this. Was my sister given a recommendation…? I don't remember if she was or not. She must have been though.

Roxas turned back to me, folding his arms.

"You've probably already worked out after what Xigbar said in the lounge that the lab is organised by people who have no family or relatives. There is a reason for this. No one can leak this information to outsiders like yourself, even though the students over the last two days have accepted you as part of the lab. If people have no relatives, then no one will know"

My eyes widened a little at that.

"So does that mean you and…?"

I couldn't bring myself to finish my sentence. It wasn't just Lea, was it? What Namine said back there is true… Roxas nodded.

"Yes. I don't have a family either. Neither do the workers, neither does Xigbar, or Larxene, Isa, Sora, Riku, Lea, and Namine. None of us do"

I felt my chest tighten. I felt really horrible and sorry for them.

"I-I'm sorry Roxas…"

Roxas gave me a small smile.

"Don't worry about it. I consider the students at the lab as part of my family. I always have, and I always will"

Silence filled the air in between us again before I decided to ask a question.

"Hey Roxas, you know these "ethical problems" that you research about, what is it that you actually do?"

Roxas placed his hands back into his pockets again.

"Oh, we do a lot of things… I don't know about all of the research though. Each of us has a specific area to research. Even though there are ethical problems out there, if our research can help the people of the future, then we will continue to follow it through until the end"

He closed his eyes for a brief moment, smiling a little to himself.

"Ever since I was in the orphanage, I was considered very intelligent. I was placed in a gifted education program. Then just last year, I was finally given the opportunity to come here when I was assigned to Mikozuka lab as an under 18 graduate student. At first I was excited. I was finally going to get to go and work in an actual lab! But now, I don't really know any more if I want to stay here or not…"

Roxas slowly opened both of his eyes and glanced at me curiously.

"I'll admit that at first I was a little bit suspicious of you when you first came into the lab. I honestly thought you were hired as an agent to try to get information out of us. It wasn't until I saw your true emotions about your sister did I realise you weren't trying to expose the lab. Heh… I guess I feel really bad now for doubting you"

I was surprised that Roxas was being so open with me about all of this.

"So… You trust me?"

"Yup. I don't know why, but… I feel like I can. I guess you just have that weird charm with people. And I could see that Lea was acting weird when you arrived. He was the student that had lasted at the lab longer than the rest of us. And it seems like he knew your sister. I could see that you were desperate, and I felt horrible. I wanted to help you solve the mystery behind your sister's disappearance"

A reassuring smile came to his face as he said the last sentence. Roxas is a very trusting person, isn't he?

"You know, you have a nice name Xion"

I turned away a little at the comment. It was a bit embarrassing.

"O-Oh. Thank you…"

"Speaking of names, what is your sister's name? I'm sure her name is beautiful as well"

My mind seemed to go blank at that remark. My sister's name…? The question Roxas had asked me was a casual question. It wasn't rocket science (no pun intended with that statement). And yet, the question repeated itself in my head. What was my sister's name? How can I not know it?! We've been together ever since I was born! I should know my own sister's name, right?! See, my sister's name is-

…. What is wrong with me? I can't remember my own sister's name? Okay, calm down Xion. Just take a deep breath and relax. I've told my sister's name to someone. I know I have. So, my sister's name is… When have I said it? Have I gone crazy? Has this lab convinced me that my sister really doesn't exist…? Why do I always feel sick when I try and recall my sister?

"Xion, what's wrong? Are you okay?"

I glanced at Roxas to find he was kneeling down in front of me. I jumped a little from fright. I hadn't expected him to be there. I quickly nodded.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry, I just…"

He frowned guiltily.

"I'm sorry if I made you upset by asking that question. But anyway, it's time for us to go. It's getting late"

Roxas carefully took my hand and helped me back up onto my feet again. I decided to forget about that matter for now.

* * *

The two of us quietly ran away from the incinerator and towards the main entrance. The lab looks really creepy when it's dark, you know.

We paused outside the entrance to the building. Roxas quickly peeked in through one of the windows nearby before turning back to me, lowering his voice to a whisper.

"Right, there's a head official in the office. And I think Larxene is in Professor Mikozuka's room. You said you wanted to go into the Professor's office, right?"

I pondered on my suggestion for a moment. Was I going to back down from going into the Professor's office? I only had an hour, so I have to make sure I picked the right room.

I nodded stiffly. Roxas quickly handed me his ID card.

"You'll need this to get into the office. I wish you luck"

I nodded again.

"Good luck to you too"

Roxas then quietly walked in through the entrance. I followed him, but remained hidden behind the bin on the first floor. I listened out for the door opening. Two pairs of footsteps headed towards the third floor. I recognised one to be Roxas' footsteps, and the other one to be Larxene's. Once I was sure they had gone up the stairs to the third floor, I quickly and quietly dashed up the stairs and into the Professor's office after using Roxas' ID card to get past the door on the second floor. Roxas had told me previously that in the evenings no one could enter the premises without an ID card.

I looked around the darkened room as I quietly shut the door behind me. I don't have much time. I need to search quickly. But where do I start…?

My eyes fell upon the draws on the side of the desk. Aha! The resumes have probably been put in there! There were three draws in total. I opened up the top one first. There was nothing in there besides pieces of paper and a stapler. I tried the middle draw next, getting down on my knees. Again there was nothing in there besides equipment. I was getting annoyed. I tried the bottom draw, only to find it wouldn't open.

(Huh?!)

I examined the draw more closely to find a tiny keyhole on the front of it, just above the handle. I need a key to get in there? I don't have time to search for a key! Where would the key be?!

I had a bit of a panic and quickly began to search every nook and cranny in the room without making loads of noise. I searched as many places as I could, and I was at a loss for how much time had passed.

I eventually stopped after a while when I realised I hadn't found anything and that I was wasting my time. I sighed heavily. I had checked most of the room. There were no keys anywhere! If I was a key, where would I hide?

My eyes fell upon a book on a nearby bookshelf. It appeared to be on the third one. Curiously I went to pick it up, jumping back suddenly when something fell out of it onto the floor. My eyes widened. It was a small silver key. That's where the key was!

(I have to hurry!)

I quickly picked it up and knelt back down by the bottom draw. My hands were shaking as I tried to get the key in the lock. After a small struggle, due to the room being cloaked in darkness, the key fit in perfectly. I turned it to the left, and as soon as I heard the click of the lock, I yanked open the draw by its handle.

I felt relieved when my eyes fell upon the documents in the draw. Yes! I've found it! I quickly searched through them one by one for the resumes. I stopped however when I noticed a large brown envelope attached to the roof of the draw. I carefully peeled off the tape and placed the envelope on my lap. It was sealed. And on the surface it said: Graduate Student Resumes (Submitted when enrolled).

So these were where the resumes were kept…? If my sister has enrolled here, her resume should be in here. It is classified by the enrolment year.

I carefully unsealed the envelope and pulled out the resumes. There were more here than I originally thought. From glancing at the top of the pile, there were faces that I didn't recognise. How long ago do these resumes go back? What I found really odd though as I was going through each resume, was that no one filled the column about their family structure. Roxas was right. They only seem to accept people who have no family.

After a while of looking through the resumes, I finally reached the recent ones. Lea's was the first one I came across. He looked a bit younger in his picture on this resume than he had done when I first met him. He looked so filled with will and hope. It saddened me to look at the picture.

(Lea… I'm sorry…)

I wanted to cry, but I knew I couldn't dwell on this for much longer. I'm running out of time. The next one that appeared was Riku's. Somehow, I had expected that to happen. Again, I felt sad looking at the picture of a young Riku who was filled with determination and a resolve to change things for the better.

(I'm sorry for you too Riku…)

I was slowly growing very nervous as I again turned to the next resume. It was Namine's. Even she looked slightly younger here. I noticed that Riku and Namine had enrolled within the same year. Lea was a year before them. I was frightened now. I didn't want to turn to the next resume. But I knew I had to. After Riku and Namine there are the D1, M1 and M2 students. I expect to find Isa, Roxas and Sora in there, but my sister… I'm sure she is in there too. Yet Roxas' words went through my mind again.

"_Speaking of names, what is your sister's name?"_

Everyone was lying, right? My sister is here. Why am I doubting myself? I have worked so hard to get up to this point. I can prove to these people that I know they have my sister! They are trying to deceive me! My sister is here, and I shall prove it! My sister is real! My sister does exist! These lies will not go on any longer!

The next resume was Roxas', which I hadn't expected. I thought Isa's would be there first. I found this odd, but passed over it immediately. I haven't got time for this!

Sora's soon followed. And on the back of Sora's was another resume fastened by a paper clip. There _was_ someone else in the same grade as him! Sister… It's her, isn't it?! It's my sister!

And yet I found myself feeling nervous again as I removed the paper clip and placed it on my lap. I have to find out the truth. No matter what my nerves are like, I have to get through this. I need to know.

I took a deep breath, and quickly turned that resume over. My eyes widened in horror the minute they fell upon the document.

(W-What?!)

The resume… was the girl who looked like me. It was the same girl in Lea's locket. The name read: Kairi Kamijo.

Her last name is Kamijo? But she can't be my sister! She and I look exactly alike! Her hair was shorter here, unlike the one Lea had in his locket. It was the same length as mine. The resemblance between me and her was shocking. Her information matched mine too. She had the same birthday as me, same surname, same face… I don't understand. Is she… my twin? Is she someone who I don't know about who is related to me? She isn't my sister, but then why does she have the same last name and face? I don't understand! She's the seventh student! But…

I started to feel really sick. I didn't know what was going on anymore. This girl… Who is she? Is she… me?

I froze suddenly at the sound of beeping coming from further down the corridor. Oh no… Is someone coming? Surely the hour isn't up yet, right? Please tell me it's not up yet…

The hallway had been quiet while I was searching around the office, but now I could hear faint footsteps heading towards me. I couldn't move. I was too frightened. The footsteps slowly got louder and louder. Someone was approaching. Without thinking, I quickly shoved the other students' resumes back inside the envelope and back into the draw. I shoved it closed, keeping hold of Kairi's resume.

The footsteps stopped outside the door. I slowly got to my feet, waiting silently for the door to open. There was no escape now. I was trapped. My whole body was shaking violently. Sweat began to gather on my forehead. My heart was pounding hard against my chest.

The door slowly opened. The person who came in was… Larxene. I gulped loudly and slowly began to move back. I noticed there was something wrong with Larxene though. Her eyes seemed emotionless for some reason. She had a hand behind her back.

We stared at each other in silence for a moment before Larxene slowly advanced towards me. From behind her back I could briefly see a glint of silver. It was a blade. No, it was… A knife?!

I jumped suddenly as my back hit the bookshelf. I pressed myself as far back against the bookcase as I could as Larxene towered over me. I tried to scream, but no sound came out of my mouth. All I could do was stand there, wide eyed. Roxas, where are you?! Help me! Please! Someone! Anyone!

I froze as a gunshot sounded and echoed around the room. I stared at Larxene's face in confusion and shock to find her in agony. Her eyes were wide and her mouth was gaped open. Pain flashed across her face as she fell face-first in front of me. I fell down along with her, dropping the resume on the floor. I smacked the back of my head off of something hard as I collapsed onto the floor with Larxene.

My vision began to spin as I felt my jumper get drenched with something warm and damp. Please tell me that's not blood… I could see someone was standing in the doorway. They must have been the one who fired the shot. Black dots danced around my vision as said person slowly walked into the room. Since the room was dark and my vision was starting to become blurry, I couldn't quite see the person's face. My vision was starting to go black as well. All I know is that they saved me…

* * *

_December 21__st__, Early Morning…_

I slowly opened my eyes to find I was staring up at a familiar looking ceiling. I carefully sat up and glanced around. I was back in my sister's apartment in the bedroom. I saw light flooding into the room. It was morning already? Yesterday's date was 20th. So today's date must be 21st, right…? What happened again…?

I felt really sick. My head refused to recall last night's events. Yet I knew I had to. I needed to try to work out how I ended up back here. Right, time to recap.

So yesterday, Lea committed suicide… He jumped from the lab roof. I showed the CD-ROM which contained Lea's email and Lea's note to Roxas and asked him to look up the data for me. Lea knew my sister, so I wanted to work out the clue behind the information he had given me already. We met by the incinerator later that evening and he told me his findings. We made a plan to sneak into Professor Mikozuka's office so I could find my sister's resume. I found a resume of the seventh student who was supposed to be at the lab. It was the girl who resembled me. Her name was… Kairi Kamijo. She wasn't my sister, but she was related to me somehow. And then Larxene came back earlier than expected. She tried to stab me, but was shot down. I fainted. Why did I-?

I flinched suddenly as I went to place a hand on the back of my head. I felt a bump, and a… bandage? Oh. I hit my head off the bookshelf when Larxene fell on me! I passed out from hitting my head. And then… there was someone else there. I couldn't see their face, but they saved me.

Was it all just a dream…? No. I have the bump on my head to prove it. But the bandage? How did that get there?

Wait a minute! Roxas! What happened to Roxas?! How could I have let myself be so weak?! What if…? I've got to get to the lab, injury or no injury!

Just as I got up off the bed, I knocked my bag off the table beside my bed with my elbow. It toppled over onto its side. The contents quickly scattered out of it and onto the floor. My eyes widened towards a familiar looking piece of paper near my bedside table. I quickly knelt down and picked it. T-This is… Kairi's resume?! Then… It definitely is true. Everything that happened yesterday… It's true… Even Lea's…

I felt my chest tighten as tears threatened to pour from my eyes; however I held them back, shaking my head a little. No Xion. No crying. Calm down. So, we have yesterday's events straightened out, but why am I back in my sister's apartment?

I then took a moment to stare down at myself. I was still in my school uniform; however my jumper appeared to be missing. That's odd… Did someone… perhaps carry me back here? They must have done. There is no other explanation. I didn't bring myself back here. I couldn't. I was unconscious the whole time. But who shot Larxene…? It was the person in the doorway. That I know at least. They must have brought me back here too.

Perhaps it was Roxas. Yeah. Maybe Roxas is okay after all, and he was the one who brought me back here. Why did Larxene attack me though…?

Okay. One thing at a time. I need to work out who brought me here first. There is something I need to check.

I looked around the floor for my sister's spare apartment key. I found it near the opening of my bag. After picking it up off the floor, I slowly stood up. I kept hold of Kairi's resume and slowly made my way out the room. I frowned when I entered the living room. There was my school jumper spread out on the back of the sofa. It was drenched in blood. So that was definitely blood I felt when I hit the floor. It must have seeped through my jumper and onto my shirt also.

My eyes widened however when I saw a pile of school clothes on the arm of the sofa. They were neatly folded up. Someone has given me a new uniform to replace the one Lea gave me because of the blood stains…? It must have been the person who came into this apartment.

Oh! Right! I nearly forgot what I needed to check! I slowly walked over towards the door of the apartment and tugged on the handle. It was locked. That's odd. This door needs a key to unlock it for one. I know I locked it before I left yesterday. It doesn't do it automatically. Perhaps the person who came here used the key in my bag, but then how did they lock it from the outside? The key is still here. And the only people who have a key to this apartment are me and my-

I froze mid-sentence. I felt like I had just been hit in the face with a book. My sister… She is the only other person with a key. So, my sister was the one who saved me from Larxene and then brought me back here? She was the one who removed my bloodied jumper and put a bandage over my injury? She was the one who put the resume in my bag, left me a new uniform and then locked the door and left the apartment?

It does add up though. It makes perfect sense. She's okay after all! But… why didn't she stay? Why didn't she let me know she was here?

My eyes fell upon Kairi's resume again. I decided to check it to make sure all the details were correct. They were, except for one… The address. The address was different. The resume said: 9-Chrome Hongou Bunkyo-Ku. I don't live there. I don't even live in Tokyo. So something isn't adding up…

But wait a minute. The apartment I'm in right now is 6-Chrome. The address is quite close to here. I guess I know what I need to do now. I'm going to look for this address.

I quickly got changed into the new uniform I had been left, and put the old one in the washing basket. I could sort that out when I come back later. I placed everything back into my bag again, including Kairi's resume.

Just as I went to leave the apartment, I paused. Something was flashing red. I could see it out of the corner of my eye. I turned to the left to see it was the phone. There was an answer machine message on there? I was a bit nervous to look at it, but decided I should. My curiosity would get the better of me sooner or later.

I pressed the button to play the message. My eyes widened when the voice reached my ears. It sounded a bit familiar. It was a voice I had heard before, but it sounded quite high pitched. I listened to the message:

"Hey Xion. It's me. It's been a while, hasn't it? I'm sorry that I've worried you so much. There is a reason why I haven't been in contact with you for quite some time, but I can't say. All I can tell you is this: Look for the "5th Report". That is the only way you can survive. Good luck, and again… I'm sorry"

The message had been left at 11.37pm on December 20th. But that voice… I-I'm sure… This voicemail was left by my sister. This is definitely my sister!

I played the message again, making sure I listened carefully this time.

"… All I can tell you is this: Look for the "5th Report". That is the only way you can survive…"

Yes. It had to be my sister. But the "5th Report"… What did she mean by that?

I couldn't think straight. I felt like I wanted to cry again. I was filled with happiness. That was my sister! She's alive and well!

(Sister, do you know how much you've worried me until now?! But… I'm glad. I'm glad you're okay. I'm glad, really)

And now I had a new resolve.

* * *

I quickly walked out of the apartment and set off down the main street. If the 5th Report is connected to my sister, then I have to find this address.

I followed the signs closely. I had arrived on 7-Chrome. If I continued west I would find 9-Chrome. I found however that as I continued along the road, there were less people around. I didn't like this at all. In fact it made me feel really nervous. But I pushed onward. I have to. I have to do this, for my sister's sake… She's counting on me to find the 5th Report!

I finally arrived outside of 9-Chrome, which was an old isolated house at the end of the street. It was surrounded by a lot of shrubbery and trees. I silently stood there and looked over the house in awe. It certainly is very big. And it does look pretty old, but the building and the garden have been well maintained it seems. Someone must be living here then, but the atmosphere is very quiet. And yet it still seems like no one lives here…

I saw a nameplate beside the small white gate that led into the garden. It read: Mikozuka.

Wait… Mikozuka? Isn't that the surname of the person in charge of Mikozuka lab? This isn't a coincidence after all… But why is this house's address written on Kairi's resume?

I concluded that I wouldn't get any answers just by standing idly in front of the gate. Taking in a deep breath, I slowly walked through the gate and down the pathway towards the house. With every step I took, I grew more and more nervous. My hands were starting to shake and sweat. My heart was thudding hard against my rib cage. Yet I pushed myself forward. I need answers. This is the place I need to get them from. I'm not turning back now.

I soon found myself in front of the door. Slowly lifting up a shaky hand, I pressed the doorbell. The sound of the doorbell made me jump, considering it was really loud. Then silence fell around the area. I waited patiently. The door slowly opened a little then. I couldn't see who the person was, but I knew there was someone standing there.

"Yes, may I help you…?"

The voice sounded like an elderly lady. I paused to think about what I was going to say before responding. My mind went back to the resume. Should I…? I took a deep breath.

"I'm… I'm Kairi Kamijo"

There was silence for a brief moment.

"Kairi? Did you say "Kairi"…?"

I nodded. The elderly woman opened the door wider. I could finally see her aged face. Her eyes stared at me in shock.

"Miss Kairi, my lady, have you come back…?"

I didn't answer. I remained silent. The elderly woman finally opened the door fully, stepping to one side.

"Please do come in"

I slowly but cautiously entered. The door was left open. I couldn't really see much in the house. It was too dark. I remained by the door.

"Please tell me… How do you know my name?"

"Miss Kairi, please come in. I've been waiting for you! My Master is working on very important research for this country"

She gave me a warm smile.

"I have been waiting for such a long time since that day… I was worried when my lady didn't come home, nor my Master. My lady, you were working on a very important thesis. I had heard you'd locked yourself in the underground lab to work on it every single day. I have prayed for you to write a great thesis"

Thesis…?

"I was writing a thesis…?"

"Yes. I heard you had been writing it day and night in that underground lab. Oh my lady Kairi, I'm so glad to see you! At last you have come back!"

I felt really horrible for lying about my identity, but I needed answers. And since Kairi and I looked identical it seemed to work out fine. She was convinced I was her.

"My lady, my Master loved you so much…"

She hasn't answered my question, and she isn't talking any sense. What is going on here? Then the elderly woman's attitude seemed to change.

"If… ah… that doesn't happen… ah… If that doesn't happen… Miss… Kairi… My Master… He is sorrowful today too… Oh… What mischief…"

She seemed to be recalling the old days and of events that had happened prior to now. She was saying strange things and sobbing. I slowly started to back away towards the door.

"W-Well… I-I'll come back later…"

I quickly turned and ran out of the door, holding tightly onto my bag strap. As I ran the woman's words continued to echo in my head. She was acting strange. I wonder if she is okay… She seems to believe that I am Kairi, despite my hair colour. Well, I guess I'll have to come back and try again later to get some answers out of her. I feel bad leaving her there, but I don't have much choice.

But writing a thesis… in an underground lab…? The answering machine message said "5th Report". Are these two things connected? Is the thesis the same thing? But Kairi was apparently writing a thesis. And if the house belongs to Professor Mikozuka, then does that mean Kairi is connected to the Professor somehow?

* * *

I ran all the way back to 7-Chrome, but I didn't stop there. I have to ask people in the lab about Kairi's resume. Someone there has to know! Maybe I could talk to Roxas again! Roxas might be able to help me!

Without hesitation I dashed through the alleyway, through the gates, into the entrance and up the stairs again towards the third floor. Once again, I keep wondering why I haven't bothered to take the elevator, but I don't dwell on it for long. I typed in the code to get through the door once I reached the third floor, and dashed straight into Roxas' room.

"Roxas, I've-"

To my surprise the room was empty. Roxas wasn't in here. I felt my chest tighten. Roxas isn't here…? A load of thoughts were swimming around in my head. What had happened to Roxas?

"Hey Xion, are you okay?"

I jumped suddenly and swirled around out of fright, only to find that it was Sora who was behind me. He was carrying a bunch of textbooks, and he appeared to have come from the fourth floor.

"Yes, I'm fine… I was just wondering where Roxas was"

Sora shrugged.

"Sadly no one knows where Roxas is. I'm sure he's fine though! He might just be ill or something"

Sora paused for a moment before continuing.

"Why were you looking for him anyway?"

"I… I wanted to ask him something. It's confused me a bit, and since he was helping me out yesterday with… questions, I was hoping he'd be able to help me today too"

I was lying on purpose. There was no way I was going to tell anyone that I had been looking around the Professor's office without permission, and stealing stuff. I didn't want Roxas getting into trouble too. Sora gave me a small smile.

"Well, I can help you if you need a question answering. Just give me a second"

I carefully followed Sora into his room as he placed the textbooks on his desk. He wiped his forehead with his arm.

"Phew… Those textbooks are heavier than they look…"

He turned back to me, folding his arms.

"So, what's the problem?"

Should I show Sora the resume? Well, from remembering what Roxas said to me yesterday, Namine and Isa are the least trustworthy. They have been here longer than Sora. So Sora might not know as much, but perhaps he might be able to help me a little bit.

I fished around in my bag and pulled out Kairi's resume. I carefully handed it to him.

"I found this resume on the floor outside the office. This seems to be someone who is in the same grade as you. She's not my sister, but she seems to be related to me. Do you know anything about her?"

I watched as Sora stared curiously at the resume. He appeared to be very deep in thought. I thought he might have been suspicious, yet his eyes were filled with surprise and curiosity. After a while, he looked up at me in shock.

"If you haven't faked this, and this was supposed to be in the Professor's room, then this is interesting… I've heard about another student that was supposed to be in my grade, but they left before I got here. Since the resumes are organised by dates, and this date seems to coordinate with mine, it must be this student's resume"

Sora frowned.

"I don't know why she has the same last name as you, but maybe it was this student that was writing the 5th Report…"

"You know about the 5th Report?!"

Sora was surprised by my sudden abruptness. He nodded.

"Yeah. When I looked at the resume, I remembered a story Isa once told me that he'd heard from a group of Professors as they were talking in one of the labs. It was… quite serious…"

Sora didn't seem to want to talk about this here. He quickly looked behind me to the door before turning back to my face.

"Lower your voice first when you talk, okay?"

I nodded stiffly, noticing that is exactly what he had done. Sora carefully passed the resume back to me, leaning back in his chair.

"I'll get straight to the point. Isa accidently heard this while outside one of the labs. He told me there is a thesis that was written by a student who was here before me. It's kept in the basement"

"Is that… the 5th Report?"

"I'm not sure, but I'm sure he said he heard 5th Report mentioned in their conversation. But apparently that is where this thesis is being kept"

"How do I get down to the basement?"

"Have you seen the iron door on the first floor? I heard that is where the basement is, but only the Professor and Assistant Professor have the ID cards needed to open the door"

I frowned in thought for a moment. I felt like I couldn't venture down there on my own. I needed help again. And since Roxas wasn't here, and Namine and Isa couldn't really be trusted…

"So… If I can get the ID card, could you please come with me into the basement Sora?"

His eyes widened.

"W-Wait! You seriously want to go down there?! Students aren't allowed down there Xion! It's too dangerous!"

"But this could be the only lead I have to finding my sister! Sora, please… I feel guilty asking this, but I can't do this alone…"

We both had been shouting in whispers. Sora looked at me with saddened eyes. I could tell he felt guilty. After a while, he gave me a small smile.

"Alright. We'll pinky swear on it. Okay? I promise that if you find the ID card, I'll go with you to the basement"

I grinned happily in response and wrapped my pinky finger around his. The two of us shook fingers before Sora retracted his hand.

I allowed Sora to return back to his work then. I headed off out the room. Let's see… So if the Professor and Assistant Professor have the ID cards, it makes sense that I would find them in their office, right? Perhaps I could go there and-

I froze suddenly as I saw a familiar blonde secretary walking on the opposite side of the corridor on the second floor.

L-Larxene's alive…?!


	6. Chapter 6: Thesis

**I'm sorry for not updating this in a while. I had a bit of a set back due to school, but I finally got it done. It took a lot of motivation for me to actually finish it as quickly as possible. Thanks to everyone who has been reviewing, following and favouriting this story once again. Your support is greatly appreciated. And here is Chapter 6! Enjoy. :)**

* * *

Chapter 6: Thesis

I felt my whole body freeze. How is Larxene alive?! Last night, she was- She was shot, wasn't she? I was dreaming, wasn't I? I'm sure she was shot! Someone shot her! She fell on me! It was her blood that drenched my jumper! I know it was! How is Larxene even alive?! What is going on here?!

Larxene halted in front of me then as she went to pass me in the corridor. She seemed surprised that I was still here.

"Oh hello Xion! Still looking for your sister, I see"

I didn't respond. I couldn't. My mouth wouldn't move. I was dumfounded. This isn't possible. There is no way Larxene survived that gunshot! I was not imagining things! Right? I'm not crazy! I'm not crazy! Right?!

Larxene just stared at me concerned.

"Hey kid, you okay? You're looking pretty pale. You're not ill, are you?"

The minute I felt her palm touch my forehead I nervously stumbled back to get away from her. I tried to act normal.

"I-I'm fine! Sorry! I just… didn't have a good night's sleep is all!"

I chuckled nervously, giving a nervous smile also. Larxene smirked.

"I can tell. You've got a nasty head injury there if it has to be covered up with a bandage!"

My eyes widened at that statement. Doesn't she remember how I got this injury? This is really confusing.

"Well, I'd better be getting back to work, as much as I don't want to…"

I watched as Larxene quickly walked away before sighing heavily in relief. But that was when I realised there was something I wanted to ask her.

"W-Wait, Miss Mizukoshi!"

The blonde quickly stopped in her tracks and turned her head slightly in my direction.

"What?"

"Did you hear or see anything strange last night in the lab?"

Larxene frowned out of confusion.

"Why are you asking me a question like that?"

I bit my lip. She's trying to cross-examine me!

"I-I heard about it from one of the students in the lab! Apparently they heard a gunshot come from the office!"

Larxene shook her head.

"I didn't hear anything strange. I did find that when I returned to the Professor's Office it was a mess, but other than that I honestly don't remember hearing or seeing anything strange. Now if you'll excuse me, I must return back to my place of work"

I watched as she quickly hurried away again. Why is she acting clueless? Why is she insisting that nothing happened?

I sighed heavily. I shouldn't be dwelling on that. Maybe the 5th Report will give me the answers I need.

A hand suddenly grasped my shoulder from behind firmly. I shrieked as I was quickly pulled around a nearby wall, only to be spun around to face a familiar looking technician.

"Shush! Haven't you learned that making noise in this lab doesn't help?"

It was Zexion. He stared at me with his arms folded, lowering his voice again.

"What are you still doing here, Miss Kamijo?"

"I'm looking for my sister"

Zexion raised an eyebrow.

"I know that. But that is the reason why I'm asking why you're still here. Your sister isn't here"

"But she is! And I know it's all connected to the 5th-"

I quickly covered my mouth with a hand, my eyes widening. Whoops… Zexion's eyes seemed to widen a little in surprise. He glared at me.

"How do you know about the 5th Report?"

"You know what it is too?"

Zexion sighed heavily.

"Yes, of course I do. I've been at this lab longer than Mr Hikari has been. I know enough about this place"

"Then… Can you perhaps tell me anything about it, Mr Kanematsu? Please?"

Zexion stared at me silently for a moment, studying my face. After a while, he sighed heavily.

"I know what it's about… But you really shouldn't care. You shouldn't. If it didn't exist, then nobody would have died. You shouldn't even be here Miss Kamijo. You need to leave and go back to wherever you came from. You're in danger if you stay here"

I looked at him sadly.

"Please Mr Kanematsu! This is the only lead I have to find my sister!"

Zexion tried to avert his gaze from mine. He was being stubborn. I placed a hand to my chest.

"I know there is someone after me. I know I'm being chased. But I don't intend to run away. I got a phone call from her today, from my sister. I have been waiting for over 3 months to hear her voice again!"

I was close to tearing up.

"I've been told over and over again that my sister isn't real… But because of that message, I know now that isn't true! She is real! And I think she's in trouble! Please Mr Kanematsu. Please…"

Zexion looked at me with saddened eyes. I could tell that he felt guilty.

"I don't want you to suffer, Miss Kamijo. Even if you know the meaning of the 5th Report, you cannot do anything"

Zexion turned away from me, staring at the wall further down the corridor. He closed his eyes.

"But, since you insist…"

He paused for a brief moment before continuing.

"The 5th Report is a thesis that was written by a student who came here over two years ago. The student was a genius, succeeding the majority of the other students in this lab. They were doing such great research…"

"Where is the thesis now, Mr Kanematsu?"

Zexion silently turned back around to look at me.

"The thesis is in the basement. She was down there for a long time, that student…"

I tilted my head to the side a little curiously.

"What was she writing about?"

"That I cannot say. But… she died… because of that thesis…"

A glimmer of sadness seemed to fall over Zexion's eyes. I felt really bad for him. I think I'm starting to put two and two together however. I'm connecting the dots. Slowly, everything is starting to make some sense to me.

"Is the 5th Report still down there? I heard from Sora that you need either the Professor's or the Assistant Professor's ID card to get access"

Zexion silently nodded.

"Do you know where I can get the ID card from?"

"I do. But it's impossible. Professor Haibara's office is currently locked, and he himself will not return to the facility until tomorrow. And Professor Mikozuka is not here either. It's impossible… You will be killed, Miss Kamijo. I beg of you, please don't do it"

Zexion closed his eyes again.

"Just like Mr Dawn… And just like Mr Hikari… Just like that student…"

A tear fell down Zexion's face. My eyes widened in surprise. Did he really care that much about my safety…? He must know where I can find the ID Card.

I decided it would be best if I left him alone, so I turned to go. He seemed really upset, and I don't think asking him about the ID card would help matters. His hand grabbed my shoulder tightly however when I went to walk away.

"Wait!"

I turned back to look at him surprised. He sighed heavily.

"The ID card is at Professor Mikozuka's home. His maid should be there. She is the one protecting the inheritances of the lab from anyone who wishes to have it. She is protecting the ID card also. You know where the house is, do you not?"

I slowly nodded.

"Good. When you talk to her, don't say "Just give me the ID card". You have to prove to her you are the student who wrote the thesis. Say "I came here to finish writing a thesis". Have you got that?"

I slowly nodded again. I smiled a little.

"Thank you… Mr Kanematsu"

He nodded stiffly at me in agreement.

"Good luck, Miss Kamijo…"

And with that, he slowly let go of my shoulder. I gave him a weak smile before quickly running off out the lab. However, I could have sworn that before I left I heard him mutter: "And be careful…"

* * *

Okay, so I know where the house is. I went there earlier. And now that Zexion has explained things, the dots are starting to connect. Kairi must be the one who wrote the 5th Report. That's why her resume is here. She's the seventh student who they were talking about. And yet she's dead because of this thesis. I wonder… Did she ever finish it? And what content is contained in that report that would lead her to die? All I know is that if I can solve this mystery, I'm another step closer to finding out how my sister is connected to this.

Without hesitating I dashed out of the lab and back towards the house. So what was I supposed to say again? Right. "I came here to finish writing a thesis". I'm really starting to get curious about all of this though. Everybody is acting so secretive. It's as if the person they're afraid of is literally watching their every move. But who is it that is causing all this havoc and killing people?

It wasn't long before I arrived outside of the house. It still felt the same as when I had come here earlier. It was silent and dead. But this time I wasn't afraid. I have to get that ID Card.

Taking a deep breath in, I slowly walked down the pathway and up to the door. The minute I pressed the doorbell I heard footsteps start shuffling towards the door. The door opened wide to reveal the elderly woman from before. She gave me a small smile. She seemed to be okay now.

"Ah, Lady Kairi. Is there something you need? If you need something, please don't hesitate to ask. I can help you"

I waited a few moments before responding.

"I came here to finish writing a thesis"

There was silence for a brief moment in between the two of us. After a while, a gentle smile formed on the woman's face. She gently placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Yes, you _are_ Lady Kairi. And to finish writing the thesis, I'm sure you will need access to the underground lab. But I'm glad you have decided to continue writing the thesis. Please wait here. I will bring you the card right away"

I watched silently as she quickly walked away to fetch it. I cannot believe that worked. I was really glad I had listened to Zexion now!

It wasn't long before the elderly woman returned. She gently took hold of my left wrist, lifted up my hand, opened out my palm, and carefully placed the ID card in it. It belonged to Professor Mikozuka. It was coloured a bright yellow, with a black line across the top of the card where it needed to be scanned.

"This was the ID card the Master used. My Master told me that he would never return here. Please keep it Lady Kairi. I will be waiting for you to finish your thesis"

After a small amount of silence in between us, I smiled a little in response.

"Thank you"

The elderly woman nodded.

"I will be waiting patiently for you here if you need me, Lady Kairi. I know you will write a great thesis…"

* * *

You would not believe how fast I ran away from the house and back to the lab. I didn't think I'd manage it, but I did. I have the ID card. Now Sora has to keep his promise!

However, in my hurry, I neglected to watch where I was going. I ran into a certain blue headed student's back.

"Ouch!"

I stumbled back as he cried out, dropping the box of books he was carrying onto the floor. It was Isa. Whoops…

I placed a hand to my mouth out of alarm.

"Sorry Isa! Are you okay?"

Isa gave me a glare as he picked up the box off the floor.

"Still here, are you? I shouldn't be surprised…"

I raised an eyebrow at the remark, but said nothing. He's being incredibly rude today. Then again, he has been rude to me ever since I challenged Xigbar yesterday.

Isa's expression became curious however.

"Why are you running around anyway? Have you forgotten you're in a lab? Must I remind you of our Health and Safety regulations?"

"I was just looking for Sora. I need to ask him something. But again, sorry for bumping into you! I hope I haven't hurt you!"

Isa merely shook his head.

"Luckily for you there is not serious damage done, but I suppose I can accept your apology"

I started running off again.

"Oh, Miss Kamijo!"

I stopped immediately and turned around. Why had Isa called me back?

"Have you seen Mr Destiny recently?"

I shook my head.

"Not since yesterday Isa. Why?"

Isa smirked at me.

"Oh really? Then how come I saw you with him by the incinerator yesterday when the lab was supposed to be closed for the night?"

I bit my lip to hold back my shock. Isa saw me and Roxas yesterday?!

"I don't know what you're talking about Isa…"

"Oh, I'm sure you do Miss Kamijo~"

I started to back away awkwardly.

"Really Isa. I don't know what you're talking about…"

"Sneaking around the lab at night, were you? Tell me Miss Kamijo, why are you really here…?"

"Can't you just give it a rest Isa?"

Isa and I both turned towards the stairs to find Namine walking down. She had a sketchbook underneath her arm. I hadn't expected anyone to appear so suddenly. Isa seemed annoyed at her recent entrance into the discussion.

"Give what a rest, White?"

"Your interrogations! You shouldn't be dragging Xion into this mess!"

Isa chuckled.

"But she is the cause of the mess, isn't she?"

Namine stood beside me, rolling her eyes.

"Just go back to your experiments Isa, and leave the investigating to the police!"

The two stood in silence for a moment longer, glaring angrily at one another. Finally, Isa merely shook his head in response before heading back up to the third floor. I wonder what that was all about…

Namine turned to me then, giving me a small smile.

"Don't worry about Isa's interrogation. He's been questioning everyone in the lab ever since yesterday regarding Lea's death. And because Roxas hasn't come into the lab this morning, he has used this as another opportunity to interrogate people"

"Why is he investigating into this anyway?"

Namine gave a small shrug.

"No one knows. But I think it might have something to do with how close Isa was to Lea…"

She placed a hand on my shoulder then, lowering her voice.

"I know you're still here looking for your sister, but please try to avoid Isa. I don't want you being the next person to lose their life here for whatever reason…"

I blinked at her in confusion.

"You suspect Isa?"

"I don't. But with what has been happening lately, I just don't want you getting hurt. Please just be careful"

I nodded, smiling gratefully.

"I'll try. Thank you Namine"

She nodded in return before continuing her way down the corridor. I wonder why Namine keeps giving me advice about the lab… Does she know more than she lets on after all? I guess I'll find out later. I continued on my way up to the third floor.

* * *

I gave Sora quite a fright when I came dashing into his room. He nearly fell off his chair; however he managed to steady himself by gripping the edge of the desk with both hands. Sora laughed when he saw it was me.

"Careful Xion! You gave me quite a scare!"

I rubbed the back of my head sheepishly.

"Sorry!-"

I quickly looked to the door of Sora's room to make sure no one was around before continuing. I lowered my voice anyway, just in case.

"-I have the ID card"

I took it from my pocket and held it up in front of him. Sora's eyes widened in shock and surprise.

"W-Where did you get that from?!"

Sora's voice had been lowered also.

"I got it from Professor Mikozuka's home"

Sora was still in shock. After a small while he stood up from his seat.

"I think we need to talk somewhere else. Follow me"

I nodded as Sora quickly led me out the room.

* * *

He took me outside of the lab, and towards the west side of the building where it was quiet. Sora led me onto the far side of the lab's flower garden. I never realised they even had a flower garden… The entire time I kept looking out to make sure no one saw us. I had gotten paranoid after Isa announced he'd seen me and Roxas yesterday.

Sora stood before me then as we both stayed hidden behind a large bush by the fence showing the outside of the lab.

"Okay. So could you explain to me everything that happened last night with Roxas? Because there is no way you found that resume on the floor. Miss Mizukoshi is a very organised secretary. She wouldn't leave things lying around randomly"

I nodded slowly.

"I met Roxas by the incinerator last night after he analysed a disk for me. The disk had a copy of an email Lea sent to me before he died, which was a warning about this lab. Roxas concluded from the information that people of the lab are hiding something about my sister's disappearance. He helped me sneak into Professor Mikozuka's office after luring Larxene out of it. I was trying to find my sister's resume, but instead I came across the one I showed you earlier, which belongs to a student named Kairi Kamijo"

Sora folded his arms.

"This really is confusing. The more you tell me about what happened, the more confused I become. It isn't really adding up"

"I know. I don't understand it myself, but it is the truth"

Sora tilted his head to the side.

"Did you question Miss Mizukoshi about the resume?"

I shook my head.

"No. She caught me in the office last night however. The odd thing is she tried to kill me. She had a knife with her. But she was shot in the back by someone who had been following me. I passed out shortly after I hit my head…"

I pointed to the bandage on my head. Sora shook his head.

"I don't know… Miss Mizukoshi was here this morning. I've seen her. She seems fine"

"I've seen her too! And that's why I'm confused! She's been acting as if nothing happened last night, but it did! It's the truth Sora, honest!"

Sora frowned in thought for a moment.

"I did hear a gunshot last night, and I remember going towards the office to find blood all over the floor. But Miss Mizukoshi wasn't there"

"You don't believe me, do you…?"

Sora sighed heavily.

"I want to Xion, but I can't bring myself to. There's not enough evidence to show if you're telling the truth. You seem to be wandering around and doing as you please"

"I know Sora. I can agree with you. I know you're right. I am doing as I please. You don't have to believe me on what I've told you, but I want you to know how serious I am about this. My sister is in trouble. That much I know. And I know it has something to do with Kairi Kamijo. The answers lie in the basement, but I can't go down there alone. Please Sora. I need your help. You're the only other person I can turn to here…"

Sora stared at me with guilt. He could see that I was desperate. He gave me a small smile.

"Don't worry Xion. I'm still going to help you. It's clear that things in your story aren't adding up, and I know it's through no fault of your own. I'm sure once we descend into the basement, everything will become clearer for both you and me"

I gave Sora a relieved smile.

"Thank you Sora! I'm really grateful for this!"

Sora nodded in return, flashing me a wide grin.

"You're welcome"

He glanced down at his watch and then back at the lab.

"The lab should be closing soon. I think we should wait around here until midnight before descending into the basement. This is just so no one will see us"

I gave a small nod in return.

"That might be a good idea"

I stared down at the ID card still in my hands. Tonight, we find out the truth behind Kairi Kamijo and the 5th Report. I won't let you down, sister. Roxas came back into my head again. This felt like déjà vu. Roxas… Wherever you are, I hope you're safe… I promise, I'll find out the truth about this lab for you and my sister.

* * *

_December 22__nd__, 12:00am_

* * *

When midnight came and night had finally fallen over the lab, Sora and I quietly made our way back into the building. We had spent most of our time talking about the lab and our suspicions. Sora had told me that ever since I had arrived, he'd noticed Riku, Lea, Namine, and Isa start to act strangely. He and Roxas had conversed on the matter a few times, but didn't think anything of it until Riku and Lea committed suicide. He had also questioned them about the rules the Professor had told him, but no one could tell him.

I found that really odd, but it was clear that since Lea and Riku were the ones who helped me, along with Roxas and Sora, Namine and Isa are the two who seem to be the most suspicious. I need to make sure I avoid them at all costs.

Just like Sora had said, we came across a metal door on the first floor. By that point, the entire building had the lights off. We were in darkness. Sora had brought along a torch with him so we could see what was going on down there. There was a card slot to the left of the door. That must be where the card goes.

I quickly inserted the card into the slot. I found I was becoming more and more nervous, and I felt like someone was watching me. The door however made a loud click in response.

"I think it's open"

"Quickly check it"

I carefully placed my hand on the handle, and yanked it open. The door made a loud creak. It seems it hadn't been opened in quite a while… Sora and I stared down into the darkness. There was a long staircase that went downwards, but it was too dark to see anything. Sora bravely stepped forward, turning on the torch.

"I'll lead the way"

The two of us silently began to descend down the darkened staircase into the basement. The only light was coming from Sora's torch. I shivered as we went down. It was colder in here than it was outside. I wonder why that is… The deeper we descended, the colder it became.

We were halfway down when Sora slapped his torch against the palm of his hand hard.

"I wish I had bought a better torch. This one is too dim to help us see properly"

That was when Sora suddenly stopped. I had to be quick in halting in case I pushed Sora down the stairs.

"What's wrong?"

"I think it's a dead end"

Sora shone the torch around the area he was facing. We seemed to have come across a wall. However, I saw past this.

"No it's not. Point the torch over to the left"

Sora did as instructed. Sure enough, he had lit up a door knob. The door was cleverly concealed in the wall by the looks of things.

"Can we open the door Sora?"

"Let's see if we can. I'll give it a try"

Sora's hands trembled as he placed his hand on the door knob. He seemed to be sensing the same dark aura that I could coming from the other side. The torch lit up Sora's determined expression as he slowly turned the handle, and opened the door wide.

There was nothing there. I was relieved about that. Sora waved a hand around in front of him a little.

"Wow. This place seems quite dusty. The torch is showing a lot of dust particles floating around"

I froze at the sound of a familiar scream coming from further down the corridor the door was in front of.

"Wait! Be quiet! I heard something!"

The two of us stood there in silence for a moment, listening carefully. After a while, Sora frowned at me confused.

"What's the matter?"

"I-I thought I heard a scream"

"Are you sure? I didn't hear anything"

Sora moved the torch around some more. I frowned. Was I conjuring up delusions?

"You're probably just imagining things Xion. Don't worry about it. It happens all the time when you're scared or nervous"

Yeah… Yeah. Sora's right. I'm just nervous about this situation, that's all! I was imagining that scream!

"Yes, I think you're right…"

Sora gave me a reassuring smile.

"Let's go. We'll be out of here in no time! Don't worry!"

I'm so glad Sora had come with me down here. There is no way I would have lasted down here on my own.

Sora cautiously went first through the door, and I followed close behind. The hallway we had come out to was vastly expanding. It was long and narrow. But by the door there were two doors. There was one to the left and one to the right. Sora shone the torch between the two.

"Which one should we investigate first?"

I bit my lip as I looked between the two doors. Which one should we go through first?

"How about we try the one on the right?"

Sora nodded in agreement before slowly opening the door. The two of us stood silently in the doorway as Sora's torch fell upon rows and rows of books. It appeared to be some sort of library, similar to the one upstairs on the fourth floor. I stared at the many books caked in dust.

"How old do you think these books are?"

"I'm not sure"

Sora put a hand to his chin in thought.

"They seem to be between ten to twenty years old. And by the looks of things, all books that were of interest must have been removed from here after the student left"

"So there's nothing of interest to us then?"

Sora shook his head as he began walking towards the left door.

"No. But we haven't checked everywhere yet. We need to keep going"

I nodded, following Sora to the next room.

* * *

The left one was of no use to us either. It was just filled with boxes of chemical substances that had expired a while ago. We decided to move further down the hallway then. Being around those chemicals seemed dangerous. We don't know what they could cause if we accidently knocked one over.

As we did however, I began to pick up an odd smell. I couldn't quite tell what it was, but it smelt like something rotting. Like before when we first entered the hallway, there was one door to the right and one to the left. Again we chose the right one.

The two of us cautiously entered the room. This is where the weird smell seemed to be coming from.

"Is this a room for experiments?"

"I think so. This place has been closed too" Sora observed as he turned to go.

I crinkled my nose as the smell got stronger.

"Ugh… What is that smell? It's hurting my nose"

Sora sniffed the air then. I heard him make gagging sounds.

"That's horrible! I-I think it's formaldehyde. I recognise it. It's usually in the labs. Any living specimens used for experiments are dipped in this substance. It prevents them from rotting, which is why it's so strong"

Sora slowly began walking forward then. Something had piqued his curiosity.

"I don't think it is coming from this room though…"

I silently watched him look around with the torch clutched tightly in his hand. After a short while, he paused in front of a door that looked similar to the one we used to enter the basement.

"Aha! It's coming from behind here!"

I stood beside Sora cautiously.

"I wonder what's behind there…"

"You need to use the ID card in order to get in"

I hesitated.

"Do you think the 5th Report is behind this door?"

Sora shrugged.

"I have no idea. But we won't know until we find out, right?"

I slowly nodded in agreement to that. I carefully used the ID card to open the door by placing it into the ID card slot. My hand was shaking, but I managed to keep it steady. Just like before there was a loud click from the other side. It was unlocked.

I looked back to Sora for confirmation. He gave me a small encouraging smile in response. I took a deep breath and slowly opened the door.

The moment the formaldehyde reached my nostrils, I covered my nose with both hands. It was way too strong. Sora did the same with one hand as he lit up the room with his torch. His light fell upon millions of test tubes scattered around the room in rows.

My eyes widened in horror. They were _babies_. There were loads of babies in test tubes. I couldn't believe my eyes. How inhumane was this?! And the worst part is that they might be…

"A-Are they dead Sora…?"

Sora was silent for a moment. A grim look fell over his face.

"… Y-Yes Xion. I'm sorry to say that they are…"

I shook my head slowly back and forth. Please tell me I'm dreaming. This can't be happening! This lab has been hiding these dead bodies down here! And they're innocent little babies too! I…

"Why…? Who… would do such a thing…?"

I couldn't speak. I was in too much shock. Sora said nothing.

"Were these babies born from experiments…? Poor little things…"

Sora still remained silent. I found this suspicious. I glanced at him concerned.

"Sora…"

He didn't answer me. His eyes were focused on the floor, and he seemed to have a thoughtful look on his face. Guilt could be seen lighting his eyes. I wonder…

"Do… Do you know anything about this?"

Sora stared down at the floor guiltily.

"I-I might…"

I let out a quiet gasp. I had suspected it, but I still found it shocking. He glanced at me then, still looking really guilty.

"But I'll explain everything later. Okay? We need to hurry and get a move on"

I nodded and quietly followed Sora out the room. I'll take his word for it.

* * *

As we opened the door to the next room opposite the one we just left, Sora noticed a weird mark on it. His eyes widened.

"This seal… It looks like… Exorcism!"

"Why would that be used down here…?"

Sora shook his head as he slowly entered the room.

"I honestly have no idea Xion… I guess we'll find out soon enough though"

I stayed by the door then as my eyes glanced around at the darkened room. I felt like there was someone in here, and they were watching us.

Sora halted when he realised I wasn't following and glanced back concerned.

"Are you alright Xion?"

I nodded quickly.

"Yep! I-I'm fine! I just… I-I'm just a bit… scared I guess…"

"You can stay there if you want to. I'll have a look around"

"No! No! It's okay! I don't want to be left on my own! I'll come!"

I quickly caught up to Sora. The two of us quietly looked around the room with Sora's torch aiding our sight. Sora's eyes suddenly fell upon a shadow in the corner coming from inside a long box. There was someone in here. He halted suddenly, frowning.

"W-Who's there?!"

There was no response. This seemed to anger him. I could just about make out his facial expressions from the light slightly lighting up his face. I watched as he suddenly dashed over towards the box.

"Aha! I have you- AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Sora stumbled back out of fright, landing on his butt as he hit the floor harshly. He managed to keep a tight grip on the torch though.

"Sora!"

I quickly ran over to him and began helping him up.

"Sora, are you ok-?"

Sora's torch lit up the inside of the box again. My eyes widened in horror. There was a body in the box. A _dead_ body. It looked mummified, and hadn't rotted much. By the looks of the hair and face, the body once belonged to a young woman. Sora's torch lit up her stomach. He stared at it in horror.

"This is… shocking. Why hasn't this body rotted?! And why is the stomach so big?!"

I stared at the woman's face in horror. She was the one in my dream… Oh my Kingdom Hearts! She's real! Poor woman… Sora looked at me concerned.

"Xion…?"

"I-I've seen this woman before… I remember… She appeared in my dreams one night. But when I saw her she had no eyes… And she was holding her stomach… She appeared to be in pain"

Sora looked at me surprised.

"You've dreamt about her?"

I slowly nodded. My gut wasn't wrong after all. This woman is connected to my sister's disappearance. And it seems that if she's down here, I don't know her possibly. But at least I know that the woman is real and not a figment of my imagination. Sora glanced back at her again.

"She must have been pregnant then. That must be why her stomach is so big"

That's when I connected two and two together.

"So are the dead babies in the other room the children she gave birth to?"

"Yes Xion. That must be it. It does make sense"

I placed my hand to my chin in thought.

"Professor Mikozuka and Professor Haibara are the only ones who have access to this old lab, meaning they know there is a body down here. This woman must have died from the experiments used on her, and the same goes for the children. The reason why students aren't allowed down here must be because they don't want anyone to find out. And if they do find out, I don't think they get expelled…"

Sora stayed silent. I have a feeling Sora might know something about this lab after all, but I don't want to question him on it. Now isn't really the right time…

"I… I'm not sure who is really responsible for this. When I first came here, I was warned by Riku not to go down into the basement. When I asked him why he refused to tell me, saying he didn't know. I once tried to get into the basement by looking around Professor Mikozuka's Office for the ID card. Lea caught me trying to get in. He warned me to stay away too. I then tried asking Namine, Roxas and Isa about it and did some investigating. Isa and Roxas knew as much as me on the matter, but Namine… She tensed up and told me not to ask about it again. It… It was weird…"

Sora stared at the dead woman sadly.

"S-Should we pray for her…?"

I nodded. It only seems fair, right?

Sora and I closed our eyes then and stood in silence for two minutes, praying for the woman who had died in the lab. And of course her children too. So all of this seems to be connected to the 5th Report. But I think this also explains why the people at the lab are acting so secretive. Maybe… Maybe my sister is connected to these experiments too! I guess I'll find out soon enough.

Once we had finished our prayer, Sora and I quietly left the room and closed the door behind us. The hallway extended even further. I never realised how big this lab really was… Sora and I decided to continue on. We need to finish investigating every single area in this lab before we can start connecting pieces together.

Hesitantly I followed behind Sora as we finally continued on our way down the corridor. With every step I grew nervous. After what I had seen already, I was left in shock. I was quite shaken. But I had to press on. The truth about my sister and the 5th Report could be right down this hallway…

* * *

Sora and I arrived outside of one large door in the middle of the hallway. This appeared to be the end of the lab. So this is the final room. Sora glanced back at me and gave me a weak smile.

"Are you ready?"

I glanced back at the door again, nodding stiffly.

"Yes…"

It's time to finish this investigation for good.


	7. Chapter 7: Kairi Kamijo's 5th Report

**Wow. This was a pain to write. It was so hard not to reveal spoilers in this chapter, but I managed after some editing. XD But thanks again for the followings, favouriting, and reviewing. It's greatly appreciated. I hope you enjoy the next chapter. :)**

* * *

Chapter 7: Kairi Kamijo's 5th Report

Sora and I cautiously entered the room, with Sora entering first. There were rows of desks facing a giant chalkboard at the other end of the room. My eyes widened as Sora's torch lit up different objects in the room.

"Is this… a lecture hall?"

Sora frowned in thought as he continued to scan the room with his torch carefully.

"No. This appears to be more like a seminar room. This is where teachers and students would have discussions regarding their courses, or in this case about the experiments going on at the lab. At least, that's my theory of it anyway…"

"So, could this be where they planned those experiments for the woman and her children?"

"Possibly, yes"

"I see…"

I could just make out cobwebs hanging off the antique chairs and desks within the room. It definitely hasn't been used in a long time… Sora coughed and waved his hand in front of his face quickly.

"At any rate, this room is quite dusty! It's probably much worse than the rest of this lab! There doesn't appear to be anything of use to us in here either…"

"But did students really use this place to study?"

"Probably. I doubt it was used when I was around though. So it must be about two years since anyone has set foot down here. I don't know how the students managed to study in a place like this. I wouldn't last down here"

"Neither would I Sora"

Sora's torch then went over a large pile of chairs and desks piled up on top of each other at the other end of the room.

"Wait Sora! Shine your torch back on the pile there!"

Sora did as he was told.

"Why Xion? Is there something suspicious about this pile?"

I carefully walked over to the pile, staring at it curiously.

"I think there might be something behind it"

Sora slowly followed me down towards the pile.

"Are you sure Xion?"

I nodded stiffly.

"Yep. It seems unnatural to me"

Sora tilted his head to the side a little, looking at it from a different angle.

"Now that you mention it, it does seem like that… I'll try and shift some of the things out the way. Could you hold the torch for me?"

I carefully took the torch from Sora as he rolled up the sleeves of his jumper. I shined the torch on the pile so Sora could see what he was doing. He slowly approached the pile and began shifting the chairs first. Every time Sora moved a piece of furniture, specks of dusts literally flew in my direction. It made me cough quite a bit.

* * *

After a while, Sora was growing pretty tired. He'd moved most of the furniture by now. He paused for a moment, wiping his forehead with an arm.

"This is hard work…"

"Do you want me to help Sora?"

Sora gave me a small smile.

"Nah. Don't worry Xion. There's only a chair and a desk left! I'm nearly done!"

Just as Sora lifted up the chair by the seat, he froze. I looked at him concerned.

"What's wrong?"

"Xion, your hunch was right! Look at this!"

Sora quickly put the chair down and pulled the desk away. My eyes widened in surprise. There was a door. The furniture had been purposely put there in order to hide this. I was shocked that I was right.

Sora rolled his sleeves back down.

"Alright. I'll open it. Stand back Xion"

I moved back a little, keeping the torch shone on the door, as Sora took hold of the handle. I didn't like this however. There was something wrong here.

"Wait Sora! I-I'm scared… We don't know what could be behind that door! I-I don't think we should open it…"

Sora gave me a reassuring smile, placing one hand on my shoulder.

"It's okay Xion. There's no need to worry. You're not going in there alone. I'll be with you the entire time. I won't leave you behind, okay?"

I nodded, smiling weakly back in return.

"Thank you Sora"

As Sora went to try to open the door again, I felt the same chill I had felt when we first entered the basement resurface again. For some reason I feel as if by finding out the truth I will lose myself. I can strongly feel fate coming from this door.

Sora was about to open it by the handle when his eyes fell upon a weird device on the door.

"What's this? I've never seen this before… Is it a lock?"

"I'm not sure Sora. Maybe it's another ID card access only door"

I scanned the device for a place to put the ID card in, but there wasn't one. Wow. This is really odd. Sora folded his arms.

"This door doesn't seem to work with an ID card. How very peculiar… This must be a completely different system then. The question is: How can we get in?"

I moved in front of the device so that I could get a better look at it. Sora rubbed the back of his head in thought.

"I think this system somehow authenticates, but I'm not sure _what_ it authenticates…"

Sora tried standing in front of me so that he could get in full view of the device. It was working, but it didn't appear to be opening for Sora.

"It doesn't appear to be working for me"

Sora moved out the way then. I was frightened. I'm the only other person who can try to see if this device will allow me access. But what if it opens? It could hold everything about the truth. My sister's disappearance… This lab… Kairi's death… The 5th Report… Everything could be behind that door.

I suppressed my fear and moved a bit more forward in front of the device. Sora and I waited patiently for something to happen. Nothing did. I was about to move away.

"Nothing's happening…"

"Wait Xion! It's authenticating!"

I froze immediately. It was working?

"I think it requires face recognition. It analyses faces"

"_Release Kairi Kamijo within 10 seconds. Otherwise the 5__th__ Report shall be erased"_

Our eyes widened. D-Did that just come from the device?! Did it say it would erase the 5th Report?!

"I-I think we should leave before it does so!" Sora suggested.

The two of us quickly moved away from the device to the other side of the room. Sora sighed.

"It seems we can't open the door after all. The device will only answer to Kairi Kamijo. Let's head back"

Sora took the torch from me then and began walking out the room. I followed close behind. This is great. We can't get in. Kairi is dead. There's no way we can open the door after all.

* * *

Sora suddenly stopped in the middle of the hallway. I had to halt quickly to stop myself from walking into his back. Why has he stopped?

"Xion… I-I think it's time I told you about this. You deserve to know what I already know about this lab"

I frowned confused. That is strange. I'm behind Sora. And he's not facing me. So…

"S-Sora… I'm behind you…"

Sora quickly turned around to glance at me in alarm, shining the torch in my face. I winced as the light flashed in my eyes.

"Huh?! Then who's in front of me?!"

My eyes widened when I saw a tall silhouette in front of Sora. Someone followed us down here! Someone _had_ been watching us this whole time! I knew it!

As Sora swirled around to shine the torch on the stranger, he gasped in pain. I watched out of shock as the torch slipped from Sora's hand and landed by the stranger's feet.

"Sora!"

Sora grunted in pain. I heard a grunt from the stranger as Sora seemed to reach out to grab them. I couldn't quite see what was going on, but I could just make out the two silhouettes of Sora and the stranger. I could tell that the smaller silhouette was Sora.

"W-Who are you?! Gah!"

Sora seemed to be pain. I heard the two moving around in the dark. It was clear Sora was trying to attack the stranger. I watched as Sora's silhouette was thrust up against the wall on my right. I backed away terrified. I wanted to help, but I was too frightened to do anything. My blood had run cold. I felt so useless.

"X-Xion! G-Get away! Run!"

He freed himself and ran towards me as the stranger staggered in my direction. They appeared to be gripping something tightly in their left hand. Sora shoved me away roughly. I stumbled back and hit the wall as Sora let out a cry of agony.

"AAAAAAAAAAH!"

"Sora!"

Without thinking, I ran forward and grabbed the taller silhouette by the hair.

"Get away from him!"

The two of us stumbled around as I kept a tight grip on their hair, while they tried to break free of my grip. Then Sora suddenly came up from the stranger's left and punched them roughly in the side of the face. I let go of their hair as I watched them tumble over onto their back. I felt Sora grab my wrist tightly.

"T-This way…! H-Hurry…!"

He sounded like he was really hurt. But I had no time to question if he was okay.

Sora yanked me roughly down the corridor. He yanked me to the nearest door on the right. I staggered into one of the walls as Sora slammed the door shut and fiddled with the lock clumsily. My arm appeared to hit a light switch, as moments later the lights suddenly flashed on. I never realised there was electricity working down here…

The only sound that was in here now was mine and Sora's heavy breathing.

"W-Who was that, Sora?"

There was no response from Sora. He limped away from the door, covering his side with one hand. He slumped against the nearest wall.

"S-Sora…? Are you okay…?"

Still there was no response. Sora breathed heavily as he slid down the wall, landing on his butt. His hand remained on his side.

"Sora, are- Oh no…!"

I placed a hand to my mouth when I saw red liquid flow from in between Sora's fingers. It was blood. Sora slowly removed his hand from his side to reveal a large, bloodied wound. The left side of his shirt was drenched along the bottom with blood. S-Sora was…

"S-Sora…! D-Did the attacker stab you…?!"

I headed back towards the door.

"J-Just wait there! I'll go and get help! Lock the door after I leave! I'll be right-"

"X-Xion…! D-Don't…! D-Don't go…!"

I froze in place and slowly turned to look at Sora. His eyes were filled with tears.

"I-It's too late for me now… The attacker is still out there…! If you leave… y-you'll get stabbed too…"

He gave a weak smile.

"I-I'm okay… Don't worry… The bleeding will stop soon…"

"Sora! Don't say that!"

I could hear the pain in his tone of voice. I felt horrible. I should have done something back there… Sora isn't going to die. I won't let him!

I went to leave again.

"X-Xion please…! I… I want you here…! Don't leave me alone… Please…!"

I froze again. It felt like déjà vu. I had asked exactly the same thing of Sora earlier.

"P-Please Xion…! I-I don't want to die alone in a place like this…!"

I turned around to him then as tears began to fill my eyes.

"S-Sora! You're not going to die! Don't say that!"

A loud gunshot suddenly sounded from the other side of the door. A loud shriek followed. It sounded like a female's…

"W-Who's screaming…?!" Sora cried, trying to sit up. "I-Is it the attacker…?!"

"I-I don't know… But there is definitely a killer on the other side of the door"

Sora could see the fear lighting my face.

"X-Xion… Don't worry… W-We're safe… If the attacker comes in here, I-I'll- Ouch…!"

Sora groaned in agony, flinching and quickly placing his hand to his wound again.

"So… There's someone else outside beside the attacker…" I commented quietly, sighing. "What a disaster this is…"

"X-Xion… I-I need to tell you… A-About this lab… Y-You need to know before I…"

He cringed in pain again as he tried to put himself into a more comfortable position against the wall. I think it's time I listened to Sora.

I quietly walked to Sora and knelt down beside him. Sora stared at me seriously.

"T-There was this device the lab invented. It sounds like the ring of a mobile phone… T-This sound is what turns their minds on… The children… Because Xion, it's a method of mind control. I-I'm the one who was made to research it… I-I'm sure Roxas already told you that each of us at the lab was studying a particular area. The mind control was mine…-"

My eyes widened at that. Sora had been researching mind control?

"-I-I wasn't told why I had to research this… I was convinced by the scientists that this would help humanity in the future. A-And so I sought to make sure I helped with this research in order to help people…"

Sora took a deep breath before continuing. I could tell his breathing was starting to cut short.

"W-When the children are very young, the scientists train them in a controlled environment… This allows the scientists to control their subconscious thoughts. It's almost like hypnotism, except they convince them to believe in something from a young age so they will continue to believe it as they grow up… The noise they hear is what keeps their thoughts in check with that. The sound triggers the thoughts and beliefs they have been taught…"

"So Sora, are you saying that the killer of all these children is…"

"Me… Yes Xion… T-They misused my research… I-I know that now… Those children are dead because of me…"

"Sora, you didn't know! It wasn't your fault! You were lied to!"

Sora began to cough. His breaths were becoming heavier and shorter. He rested his head back against the wall.

"I-I didn't imagine that my research would be used like this…"

His breathing was getting lighter.

"Sora, don't! Stay with me!"

Sora gave a weak smile and gently took my hand in both of his.

"I-It's okay…"

He chuckled a little and glanced up at the ceiling.

"I-I was very happy you know… I was really happy when they chose me to come to the lab. I really like science. I can remember when I was in the orphanage that someone donated a microscope. While all the other children played outside, I hid myself in the cupboard under the stairs to use this microscope. That place… was like my own little word… I-I became hooked on its many possibilities of researching these bacteria to help humanity in some way. I saw… a lot of things. It was because of this… that I decided to become a scientist. I dreamed that all the time as a little boy…"

Sora was talking like a young boy who had a dream. Sora sighed.

"That dream almost came true. Instead, I've been sacrificing other people for it…"

He managed to widen his smile as tears began to fill his eyes.

"Heh… A-At least I was able to help you in some way, Xion…"

I shook my head at him sadly, trying to stop myself from crying.

"I-I'm so sorry Sora. I-If I hadn't asked you to come with me then…"

Sora shook his head with the last bit of strength he had. He was starting to fight to keep his eyes open.

"N…No Xion… I-It was… my decision to help you…"

Sora gave a weak smile then, his gaze going to the ceiling.

"F-Find your sister… I-I know… you can… do it… D-Don't give up…"

Sora's eyes were starting to close. I grabbed his shoulders firmly and shook him roughly as his head dropped towards the floor. I bit my lip to hold back tears.

"Sora! Sora! Stay with me! Sora! Sora!"

I checked his wrist for a pulse; however there wasn't one. I could no longer hear his breathing. Sora was gone.

I hung my head towards the floor, slowly letting go of his shoulders. First Riku, then Lea, and now Sora… What had I done? I should have come down here on my own. Why did I talk Sora into this? Sora… I'm sorry Sora. I'm really sorry… I felt like I wanted to cry, but no tears fell.

I froze then however when a loud thud sounded against the door. Hesitantly I got up. Anger suddenly took over my sadness. The attacker is still out there. I'm going to make them pay for this. Sora didn't deserve to die!

Without thinking, I quickly strode over to the door and unlocked it. I yanked it open, only to be blinded by a bright light. I shielded my eyes and quickly moved back as I tried to clear my vision.

My eyes widened when I saw a tall silhouette leaning against the door by their side. They had Sora's torch. However, the odd thing about it was that the torch was balanced on their shoulder. And the person seemed slumped against the door. The person was still hidden in the shadows in the hallway, so I couldn't quite see who it was at first.

My eyes fell upon a knife dangling from the person's left hand. It was coated in blood. T-They stabbed Sora… The person leaned more into the light. I froze.

"I-Isa?!"

Yes, it was Isa Crescent standing before me. I shook my head in disbelief.

"Why…? W-Why did you stab Sora…?"

When I didn't get an answer, I studied Isa's current facial expression. His eyes were wide open. They appeared dead. They showed no life was present within the body. Was Isa…?

I yelped and quickly moved back as Isa suddenly fell forward face first. Isa collapsed on the floor. The torch hit the floor and rolled beside my feet. There was blood pouring from the back of his head. Isa was dead too. So… That gunshot that sounded earlier was someone else killing Isa! But then that scream… Who did it belong to if it wasn't Isa? Isa had a look of regret on his face.

I stared down at the torch on the floor, lost in thought. What should I do now? Where do I go from here?

I looked around the room I was in. I realised after seeing the box in the corner that I was back in the room with the dead body. I glanced solemnly over towards the dead woman lying peacefully in the box. It seemed this room was where death was most common.

My eyes narrowed however when I saw something white beside her head. Sora and I hadn't noticed that with the torch before. I cautiously approached the box and picked it up. It was a folded up piece of paper. On the front it said "To Tamiko".

Is that the woman's name? I carefully unfolded the piece of paper to discover it was in fact a letter. The letter said this:

_Dear Tamiko,_

_Rest in Peace. I am Kairi Kamijo, your last daughter. I was the last baby who was born from you. I promise that I shall avenge all of your hatred. I am sorry for the pain and suffering you were put through. I will make things right. With this thesis, I will end this disgusting lab. _

I stared at the letter in astonishment. Kairi was one of the children born from this experiment? Oh…

My grip tightened on the paper as Sora's final words echoed in my head. No. I can't give up! He's right! This pledge that Kairi has written has given me a strong sense of determination! I have to find the 5th Report! No… I _will_ find the 5th Report!

I folded the letter back up and placed it where I had originally found it. I removed my jumper and walked back over to where Sora's body was slumped against the wall. I carefully laid him down, folded up my jumper, and placed it underneath his head. Sora looked so peaceful.

I moved a strand of hair out of his face and gave a weak smile.

"Rest in peace Sora…"

I grabbed the torch and walked out into the dark hallway, avoiding Isa as best as I could. I glanced back down at him briefly.

"You rest in peace too Isa…"

I know what I must do.

* * *

I dashed back towards the seminar room and towards the device on the hidden door. I realise why the door wouldn't open. I was scared of wanting to know the truth. Kairi wasn't scared. I have to _be_ Kairi.

I stood in front of the device.

"Allow me to see the thesis"

My face was authenticated. There was a loud beep.

"_Authenticated Kairi Kamijo. Door is now unlocked"_

I realised now that this door doesn't just analyse a person's face, but also their will. Because I was frightened of knowing the truth, the door refused entry. But now that I have the will to open the door, just like Kairi, it has opened for me.

There was a loud click. It was open.

I took a deep breath in and yanked open the door, entering it slowly.

There was no one here. This was to be expected. This appeared to be a preparation room. There were bookshelves and lockers scattered all around this small room. So this is where Kairi had hidden the 5th Report…

I heard a small humming noise. I looked to the left of the room to find a computer there. It looked old and run down, but it appeared to still be working. The sounds were coming from the computer.

I cautiously approached it. Has this been on the whole time? I felt a sudden chill run down my spine. Was there really someone here?

A person suddenly appeared on the screen. It was Kairi's face. Was it a hologram? Like the one Lea made? It was a three-dimensional face. It felt more real than just a hologram.

I nearly jumped back in fright as the computer's voice rang out.

"_Authenticating. Authenticated as "Kairi Kamijo". Opening 5__th__ Report"_

The 5th Report, which had been hidden for so long, was about to be displayed on the screen. I was ready to read it now. I wasn't afraid. I want to know the truth. I want to know why Kairi was dead. I want to know why this lab is hiding all of this from people. And I want to know what has happened to my sister. All the answers that I need lie in this one document.

The document finally appeared on the screen. I was ready. I began to read the contents of the 5th Report.

* * *

_The Background of the lab:_

"_This lab's origins dates back to more than 30 years ago, or at least that is what I have been told. The lab was built when Japan's economy was in high growth. I'm not sure who it was specifically that built this lab, but I'm guessing that person might be dead by now. More than one billion yen was spent in its construction, and funds were still coming in by that point. _

_Mikozuka lab was built in a secluded area near the Teito Institute of Technology. The appearance of the lab was setup the way it was for a reason. It doesn't matter how one looked at the lab. It would just look like a normal lab for the university. And yet the lab is far from normal…_

_The purpose of Mikozuka Lab's research was to approach the principles of humanity from all angles. It could be said that the research was intended to control and create humans with our own hands, not by God's. The areas of study included many fields, but the areas were generally called "Integrated Human Development Study" as a whole (or IHDS for short). _

_At first, the research turned out to be worthwhile. But it slowly became unethical and inhumane. Under these principles in absolute secret, they decided to bring in the most intelligent students to help with this research. The students had no family or relatives at all. They were orphans, so if a student should die no one could mourn for them. The lack of family also confined the students to the laboratory, where they would focus solely on their research. The main reason however was the lack of worry of information being leaked out about this lab. _

_So I hear you question this: What would happen if a student betrayed the lab? The answer is simple. They would just "vanish". No one requested the information from the IDHS research, not even the military. _

_I can understand that we humans have a desire of wanting to know our origin, who created us, and who controls us. And yet this was not the way for us to go about it. Students devoted their time to this research, causing them to go over the line. I can include myself in this as a fellow student of this lab. But that was not our fault. We were convinced that what we were doing was for the better of humanity. And it is for that reason that I, Kairi Kamijo, am writing this thesis"_

* * *

_Additional Remarks about the Thesis:_

"_As a student of Mikozuka Lab, I have written my research based around this thesis. The result of my research is inventive- No. It's more than that. This achievement is down to my own time and commitment. Furthermore, I wish to prosecute the murders which have occurred in Mikozuka Lab. With the help of a dear friend of mine, I have placed a program in this room which is locked with the pattern of my face and will. _

_Until the day of the prosecution, nobody can see the thesis except me. The face and will recognition system will respond accordingly. Even if I should be captured and threatened to unlock this door, the program will not respond. To eliminate this report, one must erase the hard drive. I have taken this into consideration in order to protect the thesis from falling into the wrong hands. _

_Even if I am assassinated, the 5__th__ report shall continue to exist… There is a ray of hope, even if I die"_

* * *

_Process to know the Truth:_

"_I was raised as the daughter of Vexen Mikozuka, the man in charge of this lab. I was assigned to this lab as a researcher, where I was made to be a Master Course student. My Father had forced me into this, but my instinct was what really drove me to become a researcher. I've always wanted to be a scientist ever since I was born. I wanted to devote my time to helping people, and I knew that science was the way to do just that._

_At the time there were only three other students with me in this lab. They were Lea Hikari, who was the first out of the four of us to be enrolled into this lab, Riku Dawn, who was the next person to be enrolled into the lab, and then Namine White who followed along with him shortly after. I learned from them that Lea, Riku and Namine had no family. They were in fact orphans. This lab gave them that opportunity that others could not. _

_All four of us were proud of the work we did, and yet we knew nothing. Until that day came… The day I decided to venture into the basement._

_We were told students weren't allowed down there, but my curiosity got the better of me. I found my Father's ID card on his desk when I entered his office to speak to him. I ventured down into the basement, despite Namine's pleas not to. She had happened upon me while I was opening the door. _

_I found while I was down there that this basement was in fact like an underground lab. Namine had followed me down soon after, fearing for my safety and trying to urge me to go back up the stairs. And that was when we encountered a dead woman who was sealed and dried up. When we gazed upon the body, the first thing we did was scream. We were in shock after all. _

_Hearing our cries, Lea and Riku ran down to see what the commotion was. They too were shocked by this scene. Then more footsteps came after them. It was my Father and the Assistant Professor, Ansem Haibara. My Father was trembling in fear before me. He looked at me as if he didn't want me to ever find out about this, and as if he didn't know what to do with the four of us. _

_At the time I thought it was the right choice to accept all of the horrors that I had seen that day. And that was when I asked my Father to allow me to conduct research in the underground lab. And that is where I stayed regularly to conduct my research, despite my friends' pleas not to. _

_I was engaged now in finding out the truth behind this lab's past. The children that were born from Tamiko, a surrogate mother, died while they were still infants. As a result of the experiments, I found out that there are some clones that were still alive. Well, one anyway… And he was right here in this lab. Since he was born from a special fertilized egg, he had Werner's Syndrome. His name is Ienzo. _

_I couldn't find any information about Tamiko. All I knew is that she had given many births. After she gave birth to the last child, she was worn out and died with hatred. I tried to find out who the last child was. The child's genes in fact came from a famous scientist who had already died. The child was a clone of this scientist. _

_Tamiko's last child, a clone of this scientist, was Kairi Kamijo. I was the last child. _

_It was because of this shocking discovery that I was prompted to write this thesis. Since I've known the secrets of the underground lab, along with Namine, Lea and Riku, Asou and others regard us as dangerous. However, the only reason the four of us were still living was because our research is of value to them. But it won't be much of a surprise if they find out I've betrayed them and kill me. There might not be a chance to give this 5__th__ Report to an outsider, but I know Lea, Riku and Namine will find a way to expose this lab for its cruelty and inhumane actions"_

* * *

_Past Criminals and People:_

"_Xemnas Asou, the former Minister of Education, was the one behind all of these events. Vexen Mikozuka was the one who accepted his money and continued to research. This was before I was born, so it was at least thirteen years ago. Recently, clone technology has been acknowledged, but cloning animals was abhorred in those days. Moreover, cloning a human was unthinkable._

_Yet the cloning was very simple. They implanted fertilized eggs that had manipulated genes into a surrogate mother. And then children were born. Among them, Ienzo and I were the ones who were still alive. There was a record that they made however, detailing the children who were born from the same gene. I found one other clone besides Ienzo and I on that list, but they were only recorded by a number as a name. _

_I knew that I needed help from someone within the lab. There was a worker here who had been at this lab for over eighteen years. He knew the facts I needed, and was greatly involved in those experiments. Many children were unwillingly born and died. The researchers involved in these experiments were killed in order for the secret to be kept. If no one is able to bring justice to the iron fist Xemnas Asou has over this lab, there will be more victims. If I don't let the world know of this lab, people will continue to fall into this dangerous trap"_

* * *

_How this Report is handled:_

"_I have written this section in order to help any outsiders who should get a hold of this Report. Even if someone should manage to get this thesis, Asou might squash the truth with his power over the people of this lab, and the police. I hope that through mass media the need for an investigation would arise from public opinion. When that happens, I might not be here. But I know Ienzo will testify. I hope that Mikozuka Lab and Xemnas get investigated so that the public know everything. _

_Even though Ienzo has Werner's Syndrome, he knows the truth about this lab. This thesis is needed to protect Ienzo from further harm. His testimony should prove the content of this thesis. I pray Asou is judged by the people who actually have a conscience, and I pray for those who have died to rest in peace"_

* * *

_Acknowledgment:_

"_With this thesis, I would like to thank the people who have helped me. All of the students of this lab were pure-hearted. Despite my risky decisions, Namine supported me through everything. Despite the risk of losing his life, Lea helped me with the device to protect this thesis from harm. Despite his fear of being discovered, Riku did extra research away from the lab to aid my own. _

_I pray for the younger students who should follow in my footsteps and join this accursed lab. They are not to blame for the research they are about to do. None of the students are to blame. They did not know. They were convinced that what they were doing was for the good of mankind. If they are accused because of my prosecution, including Lea, Riku and Namine, I want you to know that they had no part in this at all. They were merely misled. _

_My Father, who I have no blood relation to, has committed a serious crime, and he is the one who should be accused. I know that he regrets his actions now, but he needs to know the scale of damage that he has caused. My Father was a pure hearted scientist, and also very delicate; however, he chose to listen to Asou's demands, and that is his only sin. _

_I was the same. Because of my love for science, I cannot accept what the lab has done in the past. I may not have known, but now that I do I regret that my research has aided this insanity. However, unlike my Father who is weak and couldn't bear to take responsibility for his actions, I am writing this thesis. This is why I must write this. I'm doing this for him, so that he knows his crimes. He must be judged. _

_But it is hard for me. Because I wonder what will happen once this is completed. Will he erase it as a mad scientist or embrace me as a Father…?_

_As I type this thesis and ponder on these things, you could say that I am cursed with a fate I cannot fight against. Ever since I was born into this world, that fate probably existed already. Since I am devoted to science, I believe that every phenomenon can be explained with it. I know science can be used to explain the state of the universe. My fate however is something it cannot explain. My fate can only be decided by God himself. _

_To end this thesis, I wish for no one in this world to be burdened by the same fate as I am when they are born. I want to show this 5__th__ Report to the world. I want to end this inhumanity once and for all, and allow God to have control of what he should once again"_

_~Kairi Kamijo_


	8. Chapter 8: The Truth Comes Out

**I bet I have confused you all with that last chapter, right? Well, you're about to get even more confused with this one. XD Thank you again to everyone who is reviewing, favouriting and following this fanfiction. I now give you Chapter 8! Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 8: The Truth Comes Out

I stared at the screen in complete shock. I had no idea of what to say to this. So this man, Xemnas Asou, is the one behind these murders. Kairi is in fact a clone of a famous scientist born through this experiment, along with many others who died. There were two other surviving clones, one of them being Ienzo. The other one was unknown. But Ienzo is apparently somewhere in this lab. Namine, Lea and Riku knew about this, but were forced into silence. Now I know why Lea and Riku committed suicide after helping me…

"…_Since I've known the secrets of the underground lab, along with Namine, Lea and Riku, Asou and others regard us as dangerous. However, the only reason the four of us were still living was because our research is of value to them…"_

That's the only reason why Lea, Riku and Namine weren't killed when Kairi wrote the thesis, wasn't it…? The reason why Lea and Riku died was to escape from Asou. But Namine… Why hasn't she done anything yet? What is she up to?

I decided this would be a wise time for me to save the thesis on the CD-ROM in my bag, just in case the thesis down here gets erased. I was still trying to grasp everything that I had read within this document. I could not believe the lab had done such a thing unnoticed for over thirteen years. And now I understand why Kairi was killed. Asou must have found out about the thesis. Poor Kairi…

But this still doesn't explain why Kairi has the same last name as me, or why she looks like me. And it still doesn't explain why my sister isn't at this lab. I know however that I have two options. My first option is that I must find Ienzo. Or I could go with my second option and find Namine. But then again, I don't want Namine to end up like Lea and Riku. And she might not tell me everything. I remember Sora saying that when he asked about the basement, she refused to discuss the matter. She might do the same with me.

"…_Even if someone should manage to get this thesis, Asou might squash the truth with his power over the people of this lab, and the police. I hope that through mass media the need for an investigation would arise from public opinion. When that happens, I might not be here. But I know Ienzo will testify…"_

I have no other choice. I have to find Ienzo. But first I need to find out what "Werner's Syndrome" is. That way I can work out who in the lab is Ienzo.

Once the thesis had been placed onto the CD-ROM, the hologram of Kairi appeared on the screen once more. The thesis closed, and the computer automatically went back to how I had found it. After that I went to leave the room, having put the CD-ROM back in my bag; however I halted suddenly when I spotted a door on my left. It had the same device that was on the door I used to get in this room.

I quickly shut the door I had entered through in order to keep Kairi's thesis protected. I stood in front of the other door as the device authenticated me again. This time it opened on its own without saying a word. My eyes widened. There was a staircase behind it.

(I wonder where this leads…)

Judging by the light coming from further up the staircase, it led outside. I wonder… Was this another door to be used as an escape route by Kairi?

I decided to find out. I quickly dashed up the steps, shielding my eyes with my arm. I had been down in the basement for a while it seemed. The bright light blinding my eyes was in fact daylight. Sora and I had been down here for the whole night. I hadn't expected the day to go by so quickly…

* * *

When my vision finally adjusted I found where I was. I had returned to the incinerator. So that's where the door led to… Kairi was really very clever to have planned out such an exit.

And that was when I noticed that Roxas was nowhere around here at all, not even his pet cat… I felt my chest tighten. Had something happened to him after all? Was this Asou's fault?

I froze then however when I heard a loud yelp come from nearby. Panicking, I quickly hid within the shadows behind the incinerator. A man wearing a white lab coat with light blonde and green eyes was dashing away from the lab. He looked like he was trying to escape from someone. Judging by the lab coat, he must be a scientist within the lab. But what in Kingdom Hearts was he doing running away like that?

I haven't got time to be worrying about him however. I need to find Ienzo. But to find Ienzo, I need to know what Werner's Syndrome is. Where can I find out about it?

Then I remembered that the lab had computers. I could research it there! I quickly dashed towards the lab and up to the fourth floor.

I halted quickly however when I came to the third floor. I knew now that there was only one student left alive in this lab. That student was Namine. She knew the same things that Lea and Riku did. I was confused however. Lea and Riku gave me the information I needed to help me, and yet Namine tried to help me in a different way. She gave me advice. But was it to help _me_?

I wasn't sure if she was in her room or not; however the door was wide open. I didn't want to run past the door and have her see me. I wasn't sure if she was on my side or not.

I quietly tiptoed towards the door and poked my head around it. Namine was there, but she currently had her back to the doorway. She seemed to be sorting through files. Her jumper had been placed on the back of the chair. I decided that this was my chance.

I darted past the door and up the stairs, briefly glancing back to see Namine poke her head out into the hallway. She appeared to be wearing reading glasses. I watched as she went back into her room again as I ran into the computer room opposite the library.

* * *

I found the nearest computer, and after making sure no one was around first I sat down and logged into it using the account Lea had created for me. I decided to use the data search engine for the lab's database. This would surely contain the information I needed. I typed in "Werner's Syndrome" and just like that, the information came up quickly. There wasn't much there, but it said the following:

"_Werner's Syndrome"_

_This is when a pair of recessive genes can cause a disorder of accelerated aging. It is a rare and inherited disease which causes a person between the ages of 10 to 20 to look older than they really are. Because the individual lacks the gene that controls aging, a person whose age is sixteen could look like they are twenty six years old. It is not much of an age difference, but it will make someone look older than they actually am. How old usually varies between people who have the disorder._

Now let me think. When Kairi wrote the report, she was around thirteen years old. The person named Ienzo had been at the lab for eighteen years. If he has Werner's Syndrome, he actually looks older than his current age. So he could have been eighteen years old at the time. And if Kairi was thirteen, and she was the same age as me at the time, then Ienzo is five years older than her. It has been two years since Kairi vanished from the lab. I'm fifteen now, meaning Ienzo is twenty. Who in the lab actually acts younger than they should, and has been here long enough to know what Kairi did and about the experiments?

I can rule Larxene out straight away, since she is female. Xigbar looks to be quite old but he doesn't act younger than he should, and he hasn't been at the lab long enough. I noticed that. So that just leaves-

My eyes widened. Of course… I know who it is! How did I not realise this sooner?! He told me he had been at the lab longer than Lea had!

Without thinking, I logged off the computer and charged out the room. However I halted suddenly when I nearly ran into Namine, who was currently coming in my direction. I managed to stop myself this time before I caused anyone any harm. She stared at me in surprise.

"X-Xion? What's with the rush? Is everything okay?"

My mind went blank. What was I supposed to say to her without sounding suspicious?

"I was just looking for Sora! Have you seen him anywhere?"

Namine shook her head.

"I'm afraid I haven't. This is starting to get really strange…"

I pretended to act clueless.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Roxas hasn't come back to the lab today either. Sora is missing, and so is Isa. I'm beginning to get worried…"

I swallowed back my fear. I knew Sora and Isa wouldn't be coming back, but I couldn't tell that to Namine. I couldn't tell her the truth. She could think I had something to do with it. Or better yet, I might blow my cover. I gave a weak smile.

"I'm sure they're fine Namine. They might just be ill today! I'm sorry for rushing off like this, but I need to speak to Mr Kanematsu about something! You'll have to excuse me!"

I felt bad for running away from her like that, but I didn't have much choice. I needed to find Ienzo, or rather Zexion…

* * *

"Mr Kane-!"

I stopped in the doorway of his office when I realised Zexion wasn't here. I was about to head back to the second floor when I spotted a note on the desk. I looked around cautiously outside the room before quickly walking to the desk and reading the note.

It said: I'll wait near the flower garden. Meet me there. From Ienzo.

He knows that I know. Without another word, I ran as fast as I could out of the lab and towards the flower garden.

* * *

I made sure no one was following me before I walked towards the spot where Sora had met me yesterday. And just as I expected, there stood Zexion with his arms folded and his hair covering one of his eyes. He didn't react when I approached. I made sure to keep my voice low before I spoke.

"Mr Kanematsu, you're Ienzo, aren't you?"

Zexion didn't answer me. He stood there silently, and yet when I glanced into his eyes I could see how young he truly was. He was only twenty, but looked slightly older than he was supposed to be.

After some silence, Zexion's demeanour changed. His face appeared calmer and gentler as he started talking.

"You guessed right, Miss Kamijo. I am Ienzo, one of the clones born from the gene manipulation experiments over twenty years ago… I was born and raised in this very lab, and due to my disorder, Asou thought I was of no use to him; however the Professor was kind enough to continue to take care of me"

Zexion's gaze turned towards the ground.

"I once tried to escape from this very lab; however I was caught and tortured by Asou as punishment. And so I have been stuck here ever since. But even if I was to get out, I would be seen as a lunatic"

His gaze turned back to me. I could see pain in his gaze. I felt my chest tighten as he continued to talk.

"As you probably have already found out Miss Kamijo, my illness is very rare. It can only be obtained through inheritance during birth. No one here treats me as a normal person anyway. Well, the only people who did that were Miss Kamijo, Mr Hikari, Mr Dawn and Miss White, along with Mr Kingdom, Mr Destiny and Mr Crescent; although they didn't know about my illness. The other four students did. I know everything about this lab…"

Zexion rolled his eyes then.

"But no one listens to little old me anyway. I don't have the energy to betray this lab anymore. All I want is to quietly live my life"

I felt a pang of guilt fall over me then. Poor Zexion has suffered so much… I can see why Kairi wanted to put a stop to this lab. Zexion is a normal person, just like everyone else. He shouldn't be treated any differently. People should know what Zexion has been put through here. Kairi's right. This lab needs to be stopped.

"Mr Kane- No, Ienzo-"

His eyes widened slightly when he heard me say his name. I decided to treat him as a person on the same level as me. I didn't need to be polite to Zexion. He was a normal person, just like me. He's no longer a technician within this lab through my eyes.

"I want to know the truth behind this lab. You have to tell me what Asou wants. I want the public to know, just like Kairi did. She was right to create that thesis! The public need to know the truth about this lab, and you're the only living proof left to help secure this claim! I have the 5th Report from the basement!"

I took out the CD-ROM to show it him. Zexion's eyes widened further.

"You have- No way…"

I placed a hand to my chest, giving him a serious look.

"I will carry out Kairi's death wish. I will make sure the people of this lab are prosecuted for the unethical experiments and murders that have taken place here!"

Zexion was in shock for a moment before he slowly shook his head.

"Impossible. Whatever you tell the public, it will get silenced. Asou has control over the police. There isn't enough evidence. You'll be crushed!"

"I know. And that is why I need your help. You have to do this Ienzo. You need to do this for the ones who died. You have to do it for the unnamed clone. You have to do this for Kairi, for Lea, for Riku, for Roxas, for Sora and for Isa!"

Zexion frowned at me.

"What about Mr Kingdom and Mr Crescent?"

I fell silent as I tried to think of how to explain this to him.

"T-They died in the basement Ienzo… Sora tried to help me, and Isa stabbed him. But then someone attacked Isa and shot him through the head. I don't know who it was, but… Y-You have to do it for them too! They didn't deserve to die!"

Zexion- No, Ienzo looked down towards the ground again sadly. His arms unfolded and fell loosely to his sides.

"I-I can't. Even if I helped you, the results would be the same. Kairi's thesis isn't enough to prove what the lab has been doing out of the public eye. People would still see me as a lunatic, even if they understood what Werner's Syndrome was. There is no proof that I was born from those experiments"

Ienzo huffed.

"The lab had no problem in making a fake identity for me. I have fictitious parents. Everything about me is fake, even my family register. If we were to prosecute them right now, people would think that all this evidence is complete nonsense. Firstly, it is not easy to get away from this lab. And secondly, Asou doesn't care about the lives of the people here. If he wanted to, he would even kill you…"

He stared at me curiously however.

"And yet I am surprised you have stayed alive for so long… It's because of their help. Mr Dawn helped you. Mr Hikari soon followed. Then Mr Destiny, and now Mr Kingdom. It's like Miss Kamijo all over again…"

He gave a weak smile.

"I know Mr Hikari was a good person. He didn't say this of course, but it was clear he had taken quite a liking to Miss Kamijo. And even you… I prayed that he wouldn't be murdered. I hoped he wouldn't help you. But you needed to know the truth sooner or later"

Ienzo sighed then.

"I thought it was fate when you showed me his locket. I knew that once you returned his locket he would help you, and that Mr Hikari would die as a result. His death, along with Mr Dawn's, was definitely suicidal. They both regretted that they could not have done more to save Miss Kamijo when she was murdered two years ago. The same goes for Miss White. But that is why both Mr Hikari and Mr Dawn helped you. They wanted to fulfil Miss Kamijo's wish…"

I could feel tears begin to well up in my eyes as Ienzo shook his head sadly.

"But those two along with Miss White were already regarded as dangerous by Asou anyway. He was waiting for the right moment to murder those three. It was only a matter of time… Despite their allegiance Asou suspected one of them would betray this very lab, and he was right to do so"

I frowned.

"Their allegiance…?"

Ienzo slowly nodded.

"I can't say anymore on that. It is not up to me. But…"

Ienzo gently placed a hand on my shoulder then.

"I have to say you have done very well. You actually went beyond my expectations of you. But I am sure you have known that there have been people helping you this entire time"

I nodded.

"I did… I remember, on the night of the 20th, someone shot Larxene when she tried to stab me. They took me back to my sister's apartment after that. And then last night in the basement, when Isa attacked me and Sora. They were there again"

"It's not just that. This person has been tracking Asou's movement to make sure you were kept out of harm's way. Even though you have read the 5th Report, and you now know everything behind this lab, you've failed to ask a crucial question. Are your problems only outside?"

I frowned at this. What did he mean?

"What do you mean Ienzo?"

"This person who has been helping you might have kept you alive up to this point, but it doesn't mean they are on your side. And I fear that they may be trying to get that report from you"

My eyes widened.

"So… This person has been using me?"

"Precisely. It seems there is more to the truth than what I have told you, and this is what involves your sister… Will you be prepared to look at yourself properly and not turn back? I cannot do that, but you said that you can. Even if you were to escape, one of Asou's assassins would find and kill you, or this person who has been helping you would do the same"

I sighed then. Ienzo had a point. This person who has been helping me… I assumed at first that it was my sister, but now I am not so sure. What do I go from here?

"You should go to Professor Haibara's room. I believe that is one place you haven't checked yet"

I jumped a little when Ienzo had started talking again. I was frightened again. But why?

"You mean the Assistant Professor?"

Ienzo nodded stiffly.

"Yes. If you go, even though I am not sure, you might find the truth about your sister's whereabouts. Or better yet, you might find help"

"Will the Assistant Professor help me?"

Ienzo shrugged.

"I'm afraid I do not know. I do know however that Professor Haibara is against Asou and Professor Mikozuka. He has been looking for revenge upon both for quite some time. He is against what has been happening at the lab"

"Will he help me prosecute the lab?"

"He already has a plan of revenge, and I think it has already begun… I'm sure you are aware of where the Professor's office is, am I right?"

I slowly nodded.

"You may enter if you wish to seek his help, but I will warn you. Entering his room might be a good thing, but it might also not be. So please, be careful… Xion"

I was surprised when he addressed me in that way.

"You… said my name. Did… Did you do the same with Kairi when she came to you two years ago?"

"I did… Xion… At the time, I was crying. I wanted to stop Miss Kamijo, but I couldn't. Like you, her mind was made up. Over and over again I kept saying "Kairi, don't die… Please don't die…". But of course I knew it had to happen…"

Ienzo gave me a small smile.

"Now go Xion. It is up to you whether you wish to uncover the truth about your sister. I cannot help you any more than I already have done"

Taking a deep breath, I slowly backed away from him.

"Thank you Ienzo"

Ienzo gave another small smile as I turned away from the garden and dashed towards the lab. As Ienzo said, this is up to me now. Everyone has helped me as much as they can up until this point. I cannot let them down. Kairi, Lea, Riku, Sora, Roxas, Isa, Ienzo… Everyone… I promise I won't fail you. I'll make the right decision.

* * *

Roxas looked left and right when he reached the gate of the lab before dashing through quickly.

(I bet the others have been wondering where I've been… I'm sure Sora has been worried sick! And Xion… Oh well! She'll be happy when I tell her what I managed to find out!)

Roxas briefly remembered what had happened two days ago. After he had lured Larxene away from the office, he had managed to keep her distracted the full hour. He went to the Professor's Office with her in order to make sure Xion had left; however, he was shocked to find blood all over the floor. He did notice that someone had been going through the Professor's draws, meaning Xion had managed to find her sister's resume. He had been relieved about that.

From there, Roxas had disappeared from the lab that night. He had gone and researched behind the lab's back about any recent events that had occurred to see if he could find out anything. In the process, he had spotted someone carrying Xion away from the lab the same night he had been there, and also done some investigating around Riku's death. Roxas had uncovered some surprising facts that he was sure would help out Xion.

Roxas snuck into the lab using the back entrance and went downwards from the fourth floor to the third. He knew Xion was here somewhere, but he wasn't sure where.

Just as he entered the corridor of the third floor he halted outside of Isa's room. He frowned confused when he saw that Isa's room was empty. Isa was always in there. Something wasn't right. Roxas was beginning to worry. Had Isa…?

He quickly looked in Namine's room. She wasn't there either.

"No…"

Then he ran to Sora's. Sora's was also empty.

"Oh Kingdom Hearts no… They didn't… They haven't ended up like Lea and Riku, have they?"

Roxas had no idea what to do. He had no idea what to think. Why wasn't there anyone here? Where were they?

"Where's Xion?"

He'd noticed she wasn't near the rooms either. This wasn't good. Roxas literally paced up and down the corridors between everyone's rooms, continually looking in and out of them to find something that would suggest where they were.

"There is no way they all were killed off! They couldn't have been! Xion was unconscious when I last saw her, but that person took her out of the office! They saved her! I know they did! What in Kingdom Hearts name am I supposed to-?"

Roxas paused outside of Namine's room for a moment. Something had caught his eye. Lying on Namine's desk was a picture. Roxas quickly looked down the corridor both ways before slowly walking into her room and towards the picture. He was surprised at what he saw.

It was a picture of Lea, Riku, Namine, and a girl who resembled Xion with auburn hair standing outside the entrance to the lab along with Professor Mikozuka and Professor Haibara on either side of them. Lea and Riku were grinning widely, each having an arm around the other's shoulders. They were stood on the left with Lea stood beside Professor Mikozuka, who was on the far left. The girl who resembled Xion was stood beside Riku with Namine on her other side, and Professor Haibara stood beside her on the far right. The two girls were smiling brightly with the girl having placed a hand on Namine's shoulder, and Namine standing there with both hands behind her back.

Roxas stared at the picture in awe. This must have been before he, Sora and Isa came to the lab. And judging by how young the four of them looked, the picture was taken a good couple of years ago. But Roxas was confused. Who was that girl in the photo?

(Is that Xion's sister…?)

He had a feeling it was. The two looked alike. It only made sense, right? And if Namine was there along with Riku and Lea that could only mean one thing. Roxas' hunch had been right. Namine did know something about Xion's sister after all. And it wasn't just her, but also Riku and Lea. That's why they had both committed suicide after helping Xion.

"Roxas, what are you doing in here?"

Roxas' back stiffened when the familiar voice reached his ears. He gulped quietly and slowly turned around to find Namine standing in the doorway. He was relieved to see that she was okay, but wasn't happy she'd caught him snooping through her belongings. Out of panic, he quickly hid the picture behind his back.

"Oh, hi Namine! Sorry! I was just wondering where everyone was! I'm glad to see you're still here though! You haven't seen Isa, or Sora, or Xion around at all, have you?"

Namine's eyes narrowed. Roxas could see her demeanour was different than usual.

"I know what it is you have behind your back, Roxas"

"No you don't!"

Roxas had no idea what he was doing. He was trying to stall, and was failing. Namine sighed.

"Lying won't get you anywhere Roxas. Hand it over please"

She held out a hand, indicating for him to hand it over. Roxas moved back a bit.

"Why should I?"

"Because that doesn't belong to you"

"You've known what's been going on this whole time, haven't you?"

Namine blinked in surprise. She hadn't expected Roxas to come out with such a question.

"I don't know what you're talking about"

"I heard you arguing with Isa the other day. You were cracking under his questions. You're hiding something"

"So even you suspect me?"

"Now that I've seen this I do!"

He held up the picture with one hand. Namine's other hand tightened into a fist. Roxas saw this, but continued.

"You know why Riku and Lea committed suicide, don't you?"

Namine fell silent at that.

"You know about Xion's sister too, don't you?"

Still Namine said nothing.

"Talk to me Namine! People have been dying because of this mystery! Something is going on here! They are hiding something from Xion!"

Roxas was starting to grow angry now. Namine still remained silent.

"Is this girl in the photo Xion's sister?!"

Still nothing.

"Answer me Namine! What's really going on here?!"

Roxas began breathing heavily, trying to calm himself down. He had even said it to Xion when they were by the incinerator. Namine knew something. And this picture just proved things further, as did her reactions.

Silence fell in between the two blondes as they stared each other down. After a couple more minutes, Namine folded her arms.

"If I told you, you'd have to die too…"

Roxas' eyes widened at that. This didn't faze Namine. She continued.

"Even you should have worked out by now Roxas that curiosity is what has led people to die here. It's the reason why Riku is dead. It's the reason why Lea is too. And Sora, and Isa"

Roxas shook his head in disbelief. So it was true. Sora and Isa were dead too.

"No… No. They can't be dead!"

"But they are Roxas. You're not getting it. Xion might still be alive now, but it's only a matter of time before she's wiped off the board as well. Everyone here, including you and I, are merely pawns being controlled by an unknown player. If a pawn goes against that player's rules, they're gone"

Roxas didn't like this new attitude that Namine had put up. She sounded more heartless than she usually was. But when glancing into her eyes, Roxas could see it was all an act. She was acting like someone she wasn't, but why?

A hand went to Namine's hip as she stared Roxas down seriously.

"You're lucky to have survived this long. If you hadn't left the lab when you did that night, you'd have gone before Sora and Isa"

Roxas' eyes were wide.

"How did you know what I was doing?!"

"I can't say. But like Xion, you've been snooping around enough. This is where both your investigations come to a halt. The less you know, the better…"

And with that, Namine quickly grabbed the door and yanked it shut. Roxas reacted too slowly, and by the time he realised what Namine was doing, the sound of the lock clicking reached his ears. He ran forward and began banging on the door angrily with his fists.

"Namine! Let me out of here! Let me out!"

"I can't do that Roxas. I have some unfinished business to take care of first…"

"Stop this nonsense Namine! Talk to me! You don't have to cope with this alone! Let me help you! Please!"

Silence came from the other side of the door for a moment. Was Namine considering his offer?

"You don't have to die like Riku and Lea! I'm helping Xion! We can help her together! Please… Please Namine!"

Silence dragged on for slightly longer.

"… I'm sorry Roxas. I have to obey my orders…"

Roxas began to panic as he heard Namine's footsteps start to die away.

"No! Namine! Namine!"

Roxas banged his forehead against the door then when the hallway outside fell quiet. He had to go and open his big mouth, didn't he?

* * *

I ran as fast as I could up to the second floor. What Ienzo had told me had finally got me to where I needed to be. I had chosen to risk it and ask Professor Haibara for help. If he knows where my sister is, then I need to know. I want make sure she's safe. Sister, don't worry! I'm coming!

I came to an abrupt halt outside of Professor Mikozuka's Office. Right beside it was the one place I had yet to venture into: Assistant Professor Haibara's Office. He had been away over the five days I had been at the lab, and today he was supposed to have returned according to Ienzo. I can finally know where my sister is…

I was nervous, but I swallowed back my fear. I no longer needed to be afraid. I was going to do it. I took hold of the handle firmly and opened the door slowly. I should have knocked first, but at that point I didn't care. I just wanted to know where my sister was. I opened the door wide and slowly stepped inside.

It was empty. Professor Haibara was nowhere to be seen. And yet as I stood here, I felt really odd. This feeling suddenly washed over me. It was a familiar feeling. It was a feeling that made me believe I knew Professor Haibara somehow, and yet I didn't know why. I had never heard of him, nor had I remembered seeing him. Yet this room seemed so familiar. Why was that the case?

I decided to shake the feeling off. I haven't got time to be worrying about things like that. I might as well investigate this room for answers. There has to be something here somewhere…

I decided to look through the bookshelf that was on my left, and then soon regretted that decision. All the bookshelf had were books that I didn't understand. They were written in science terminology, and that was something I was not good at. Unlike my sister, I had never found science to be an interesting subject. In fact, I didn't know what I found interesting. I only know my dislikes, which is quite odd.

However my eyes soon fell upon a piece of paper stuck to the side of the shelf. There were numbers written on them. And yet the numbers seemed very familiar to me. That must have been why I noticed it so easily. But why were they familiar…?

My eyes widened then. These numbers… It's the phone number for my sister's apartment! Why was that on the side of this bookshelf? I was certain that these were the same numbers. The 8 digits were the same. Why was that here…?

My gaze then turned towards the computer on Haibara's desk. It was turned on. It appeared to be a database that was loaded up, and on it was text. It was just text. No numbers. When I read over the text however, I was shocked to find what it said:

"_We always used to play outside until it was dark. We used to fight over what we wanted to watch on the TV sometimes. We used to draw together and had moments filled with endless laughter. I was missing her too much. I just wanted to see her. I wanted to see that she was okay. And then my mind could be put at ease…"_

I backed away from the computer in alarm. M-My memories… They were being displayed in this database…

Now I was confused. First I find my sister's phone number for her apartment in here, and now I'm reading my own private thoughts and memories off a computer database? What kind of joke was this?!

"W-What is this?! Is this some kind of trick?!"

"Sadly Xion, it is not. I am sure even you have suspected the true nature of your memories…"

I froze at the sound of the familiar voice in the doorway. My assumptions had been right. I felt really sick. I was sad that I was right. They were behind this after all…

However before I could react, a white cloth went around my mouth. An arm wrapped itself around my middle to hold me still. I was starting to feel dizzy. I had been stupid. I should have turned around, or at least I should have closed the door before I walked in. I allowed them to sneak up on me.

I started to try to fight back and get out of their grip.

"You've been behind me the whole time?!"

My voice was muffled against the cloth. I tried to pull their arm from my waist; however the person held me too tightly.

"Oh, not just in this room. I've been watching you since you first came to the lab"

As my vision began to spin, and my strength started to grow weaker, I foolishly tried to get answers out of them in one last attempt.

"I had a feeling when I first saw you… that you weren't clueless like most of the others. You knew what was going on this whole time… You knew everything… What do you know about my sister… _Namine_…?"

However, before I could get an answer out of her, I felt my vision go black. I passed out in her arms…

* * *

Namine clumsily caught Xion as she fell back against her. For a moment, she stared silently at Xion's face as she lay there unconscious. She sighed.

"You'll find out the truth soon, Xion. I promise…"

She carefully picked Xion up into her arms, hooking Xion's bag over her shoulder, and carried her out of the room, covering her over with a blanket so that she remained hidden.

As Namine ventured out into the corridor, she heard the sound of a car skid to a halt outside the lab. She peeked out the window to find a familiar grey haired man with bright yellow eyes step out of it, along with a blonde haired man with bright green eyes. The grey haired man turned to the other and appeared to be asking a question. The other man responded by pointing towards the third floor of the lab.

Namine's eyes widened.

"Asou… Professor Mikozuka has already told him…"

He was here earlier than she had expected. Without warning, Namine darted up to the fourth floor with Xion still in her arms. As she ran past her room on the third floor, she made sure to stop and unlock the door. She didn't want Roxas getting caught by Asou's assassins.

As she headed towards the stairs, she heard footsteps behind her.

"Namine! Where are you going?!"

It was Roxas. Namine briefly glanced back as she ran. Roxas was trying to follow her.

"Go to Zexion in the flower garden! Stay with him! And keep out of Asou's sight! He's looking for you!"

Roxas continued to follow Namine up to the fourth floor as she quickly dashed down the staircase at the other end of the corridor, and out of the emergency exit. He was really confused. He wanted to know what was going on.

"Namine! Stop! What are you talking about?!"

She was too fast for him however. By the time Asou and Professor Mikozuka entered the building Namine had sprinted past the entrance, out of the gates and off towards the TIT University. She was safe from Asou, at least for now…

As Roxas tried to follow her, a hand suddenly grabbed his shoulder when he ran past the flower garden. He looked back out of fright to find Zexion standing behind him. He calmed down then, sighing heavily in relief.

"Mr Kanematsu, where is she taking Xion?!"

Zexion stared at Roxas seriously.

"You're not going to like the truth Mr Destiny, and I'm sure Miss Kamijo will not either when she finds out. So I suggest you brace yourself for what I'm about to tell you…"


	9. Chapter 9: Living a lie

**And so we have reached the chapter where the truth finally comes out. Everything about Xion will be revealed in this chapter. But what will happen? Will Xion know what has happened to her sister, or will she hear something that is the opposite of what she was led to believe? Read the chapter to find out! XD**

**But thank you to everyone who has reviewed, favourited and followed this fanfic. Your support is greatly appreciated.**

* * *

Chapter 9: Living a lie

_December 23rd..._

I slowly opened my eyes to find myself staring at a dark ceiling. My mind still felt a bit dazed over, and so I couldn't quite make sense of where I was. And yet, this place felt so… familiar.

I weakly turned my head to the right to find Namine sat beside me silently. She was sitting on a wooden chair, drawing in her sketchbook. She didn't appear to have noticed that I was awake.

I looked downwards to find I was lying down on a bed. The room I was in appeared to be very small. And still this room seemed to be really familiar. But why?

How did I get here again anyway? Oh! I remember. Namine put me unconscious by covering a white cloth around my mouth. She must have been the one who brought me here. And she's the one who has all the answers to my questions. I need to talk to her.

I decided to try to move then, only to realise that I couldn't. My arms had been tied down to my sides. I glanced down towards my middle to find I was bound by rope across it. She tied me up? She must think I might try to run away, which is true. I do have the urge now to do just that.

I started to wriggle around in order to free my arms from the rope. When she realised I was trying to get up, Namine glanced up from her sketchbook to look at me curiously. I stopped wriggling around when she placed her sketchbook to one side, in which she closed it and placed it back in her bag beside her chair.

"I'm glad to see you're awake, Xion. You were out for quite some time"

She slowly stood up then, smoothing down the creases on her skirt. She wasn't wearing her jumper. It was on the back of the chair she was sat on.

"N-Namine, where are we?"

Namine tilted her head to the side innocently as she turned to look at me.

"You don't remember this room?"

She does know something. It's almost like she read my mind.

"I… It feels familiar, but…"

I fell silent. The words "car accident" suddenly came into my head. Why is that so?

"You're in the University Hospital. This was the room you were placed in after you fell unconscious from your "car accident". I'm surprised you don't remember"

Oh. I remember when I did have that car accident on an outing with my sister and Father. I was placed in this room. That's why it feels so familiar!

Silence fell in between the two of us then as Namine sighed heavily, folding her arms.

"I think you should know by now that you sister doesn't exist… And you have an idea as to how you were born"

I shook my head defiantly, wriggling around again.

"No! No I don't! Now even you're saying it?! My sister does exist! She does! GAH!"

Namine just stood there calmly and watched me as I squirmed around like a maniac. My sister does exist! I know she does! There is no way that she doesn't! I have proof! Why are people from this lab lying to me?!

After a while I grew tired. I stopped squirming, breathing heavily as Namine continued to stay in the same position she had been when I first started trying to escape from my bonds.

"Do you really want to know the truth Xion?"

I nodded stiffly, frowning.

"Of course I want to know! What do you know about me Namine?! Where is my sister?!"

Namine glanced down towards the floor, closing her eyes. Silence came in between us again as she paused before speaking.

"I'm not one to reflect back on the past, and I was ordered to keep this from you, but since you need to know…"

She halted mid-sentence, deciding to pause again. She stared at me again seriously.

"I just hope you're prepared to face the facts of reality"

I lay there still and silent as Namine began to explain. I was finally going to know what had happened to my sister.

"You're aware of who Kairi Kamijo is already, correct? And I'm sure you're aware that Lea, Riku and I were with her and knew about her thesis, along with the experiments at the lab. Like nearly everyone else at the lab, I had no parents or relatives. Kairi was raised by Professor Mikozuka, while I was raised by Professor Haibara who had happened upon me when I was merely an infant. Kairi and I were mostly raised together since the two Professors knew each other well. She was like family to me… We were really close-"

Namine's expression seemed depressing, but she continued on.

"-Both Kairi and I were forced into the lab as researchers. I went there first as a Master Course student, while Kairi followed later on as a Doctor Course Student. This is where we met Lea and Riku. They were orphans who had gotten accepted through the lab from orphanages due to their high intelligence. The lab only accepted students like us for that reason. We spent a lot of time together in that lab. Research was all we could ever talk about. And then when Kairi entered the basement… That was when everything changed…"

Namine closed her eyes for a moment, almost as if she was recalling painful memories.

"I disagreed with her decision to write that thesis. We had already been warned of the fate that would fall upon the four of us if we betrayed Asou. But I supported Kairi all the way. She wanted to do the right thing. And I knew that the experiments and research were unethical. From what I saw of the basement, it was horrifying. I made sure to keep quiet about what Kairi was doing. But then…"

Namine paused a moment to swallow back what seemed to be fear.

"Asou found out about Kairi's thesis. And then the day came where he… decided to take action against it. I remember Riku had come dashing up to the fourth floor to alert me and Lea of the situation. Kairi wasn't in the basement writing her thesis. We had a feeling we knew where she had gone. The three of us ran as fast as we could to get outside the lab, but… We were too late. Kairi was there... lying in her own blood… A-Asou had shot her down…"

I frowned worriedly as Namine held back tears. This must be painful for her to recall.

"He sent the assassins after us then. The three of us hid in the lounge, but we were soon found and placed at gunpoint. Asou changed his mind. He made the three of us swear on our lives at gunpoint that not a word of Kairi or the thesis would ever be spoken about to anyone outside the lab, which included new students. We would have died there and then if we hadn't decided that we needed to live. We wanted to grant Kairi's death wish, and out of regret that is what Riku, Lea and I swore to do when we gave our allegiance to Asou…"

She seemed to calm down then. Her face turned serious again.

"Shortly after that incident, Professor Haibara brought me to this very room. And it was here that… I met you for the very first time-"

My eyes widened in shock. Me?

"-Because you see Xion, there is a reason why you and Kairi look so alike. Professor Haibara cloned Kairi's genes when she was born, and it was those genes that were used to create you… You're a clone of Kairi-"

I couldn't believe my ears. I'm a clone of Kairi?! Did Namine seriously just say that?

"-This room that you're in now is owned by Professor Haibara. When he brought me here and introduced me to you, I was surprised. You looked exactly like Kairi. I thought I was seeing a ghost. But I wasn't. From your hair, I could tell you definitely weren't Kairi... The Professor told me that he'd created you using a certain technology, which I assumed Mikozuka Lab hadn't even invented yet-"

I was still in shock, and yet I managed to pay close attention to Namine as she continued to talk. Her expression seemed gentle.

"-That wasn't what shocked me the most however… Since your creation you have progressed really well Xion. When I first met you, all you did was stare at me. You showed no emotion. Your eyes were dead. You couldn't walk or talk. You were sat there in silence on this bed, just like a doll… I pitied you, and still do. It was cruel for the Professor to create you for the reasons that he did, but I guess it's too late for that now…"

Namine stared at me sadly.

"I know it's hard for you to believe, but it is the truth. You were needed for his plan. He wanted to get hold of Kairi's thesis so that he could prosecute the lab. Without Kairi to get past the device on the door, no one could get the thesis. He created you for that purpose; however, he didn't want Asou finding out about you. And this is where your memories come in…"

Namine took a deep breath before replying again, trying to get her explanation right.

"I'm the one who created your memories on that computer Xion. Every person you knew before coming to the lab, such as your sister, were only figments of your imagination. I made them up. There's a chip implanted inside your head that activates these very memories, which is processed data. The surgery for your "car accident" was the chip being embedded into your brain by your cranial nerve. It was invented by Professor Haibara. He wanted to test it to make sure it would work when it was implanted. Until then, I was put in charge of teaching you the basic actions and emotions that a human should feel...-"

I wanted to scream at Namine angrily and interrupt her. I wanted to say that she was wrong about everything, and yet I didn't think that was fair. She hadn't finished explaining everything yet.

"-You were given these memories in order to urge you to come to the lab and get the thesis. A fake scenario was set up about your sister being at Mikozuka Lab, but the truth was that she was never really there. However, your memories are based off some logic. For example, "your sister" was based off Kairi. She was a Doctor Course student at Mikozuka lab. She had the same last name as you, and you looked exactly like her. It only made sense, right?"

Namine sighed then, sitting down. She still wasn't finished. There was more to her explanation.

"But I'm sure you're still wondering why you don't know who your sister is. The data in the chip would only allow you to recall certain memories. Your sister's identity was not one of them… The reason why you can't remember her name is because the chip is preventing you from doing so. This causes you to get frustrated so that you don't think too deeply into the situation"

Namine could tell that I wasn't convinced. At that, she took out a familiar looking key from her pocket.

"Your sister's apartment and the spare key you had was all part of the plan. I also set this up. The same goes for the voice mail. It was me talking down the phone. All I did was change the pitch and tone of my voice. And it was I who shot Larxene and Isa when you were in danger, and also the one who brought you back to the apartment. That is all there is to it. There's the truth"

Namine leaned back slightly in the chair, waiting for my response. I didn't know how to react. I just sat there in silence and allowed everything to sink in.

So, I'm a clone of Kairi Kamijo. I was cloned by Professor Haibara from her genes, and raised as a guinea pig by Namine. She created my memories and had a chip embedded into my head. The memories I have are all lies. My sister doesn't exist. She was a figment of my imagination. Namine was the one who shot Larxene and Isa, left the voice mail on the phone, set up the apartment, gave me the spare key, and took care of me when I passed out that night. And all of this was so Professor Haibara could get his hands on Kairi's report?

I glared at Namine angrily then as my hands clenched tightly into fists.

"You're lying… You have to be… You're lying!"

Namine placed a hand to her forehead, closing her eyes and taking deep breaths.

"You still don't believe me? That's understandable… You've grown too attached to those memories"

I started wriggling around violently again.

"C-Call my father! My father will help me! He'll prove to you that you're wrong!"

Namine stared at me seriously then.

"He's already on the way. He'll be here… soon enough"

How did Namine know about my father? Then again, she has admitted to following me around everywhere. And I guess after meeting her firstly at the train station, I can believe her on that note. But the rest of what she said is a complete lie! And I know that once my father walks in here, he'll-

Namine's head turned towards the door as a small click was heard. My eyes widened when I saw a familiar short, blonde haired man with bright blue eyes enter the room. He was wearing bandages all over his body, right up to his shoulders. They were red. Relief washed over me then.

"Father!"

Namine stood up then as the man slowly closed the door behind him. She had my CD-ROM in her hand. She held it out to him.

"I've captured Xion Kamijo and collected the 5th Report like you asked, Professor Haibara"

I turned my head to Namine confused. That's the…

The man, now revealed to be Professor Haibara, grunted in response and took the disk from her.

"I can see that"

He stared at me coldly.

"I'm glad to see you've prevented it from causing any more trouble, Namine. At least it has done what I expected of it"

I shook my head sadly. That's why I thought I knew him when I was in his office, wasn't it? It's because he looks like my…

Namine turned to me sadly, having seen how upset and confused I was.

"I based your father's image off Professor Ansem Haibara. It made things easier, since the home you were in before coming here belonged to him and because he had been looking after you for some time. Your memories can't be altered about the faces you've already seen, so I changed your emotions using the chip"

Professor Haibara scoffed.

"You told it the truth, did you?"

"She deserved to know, sir"

The Professor shook his head out of annoyance.

"I suppose since it was going to die anyway it deserved to know… Once we return here, I'll put it out of its misery"

Namine seemed surprised and hurt by the Professor's statement, but she said nothing in response. I on the other hand was shocked. I was going to be killed? Was I really just a puppet to him after all?

I watched as the Professor slipped the CD-ROM into his pocket underneath the bandages he wore. If he had covered his face he'd look a lot like a red mummy.

"Namine, we're leaving. I will hand in the 5th Report in front of the library. Since the place is crowded, Asou can't interfere"

"Of course sir"

He grinned.

"At last, I finally have Kairi Kamijo's thesis. Even Asou has been trying to get into that room within the basement for so long…"

His expression turned serious again.

"Come Namine. Make sure to lock the door on the way out. We don't want it to escape. I will finish it off when we return"

"Understood sir"

As the Professor left the room, Namine remained where she was for a moment. She glanced back at me with a guilty expression on her face.

"I'm sorry Xion for putting you through this… I really am-"

"Namine!"

Namine jumped out of fright at the sound of the voice. Without another word she quickly dashed out the room. I waited until I heard the click of the lock before sighing heavily.

What was to become of me now…? What should I do?

* * *

Namine and Professor Haibara were stood outside the TIT University library silently, watching the crowds of teachers and students swarm by in a hurry or calmly. Namine's mind was currently filled with nothing but guilt. The Professor had never told her anything about killing Xion. She didn't think it was right. The only reason she had gone along with the plan was so she could avenge Kairi. She hadn't expected it to turn out like this… What had she done?

It wasn't too late. Perhaps if the journalist didn't show up she could help Xion escape somewhere else. Although she knew that was impossible. She had been raised by the Professor here in Tokyo, and like Xion she only knew numerous locations. Where could Xion run to? Asou would surely track her down and kill her. There was no doubt about that. The plan must go on, as much as it hurt Namine to do so.

Her gaze suddenly turned towards the large clock on the front of the library.

"It's almost time, Professor… Is the journalist coming yet?"

Professor Haibara did not answer. He remained silent. Namine glanced back towards the crowds of people with worry, having remembered Asou appear at the lab as she fled with Xion. His arrival had been unexpected.

"Is it possible that Asou knows what we've been doing?"

"I do not believe so. I think we are fine for now, but-"

The Professor stopped as the sound of a mobile phone ringing was heard. Namine took out her phone from her school bag.

"My phone's ringing, but I don't know the caller ID"

"That must be the journalist. It's fine to answer"

Hesitating, Namine cautiously answered the call, placing the phone to her ear.

"Hello?"

Namine's eyes widened slightly as the person on the other side began to panic, screaming random things down the phone.

"W-Wait! Slow down! I can't understand what you're saying! What's going on?!"

"What's the matter Namine?"

"I-I don't know sir. They're talking too fast for me to understand them"

"Give it here"

Namine quickly handed over her phone to the Professor. Now really annoyed, Professor Haibara put the call on speaker so that both he and Namine could hear what was going on.

"What in Kingdom Hearts' name are you playing at?! Where are you?!"

Namine cringed as the Professor raised his voice down the phone.

"It doesn't look good. Why did you arrange to meet me in a place like this?! Nobody else is around! I'm scared here!"

"What are you talking about man?! Where are you?!"

"I'm at the park, by the pond. Isn't that where you told me to meet you?"

"No! I told you to meet me by the Teito University library! We planned this two days ago! How could you have gone to the wrong location?!"

"You phoned this morning and told me the location had been changed!"

"I did no such thing! Who told you to-?"

"Wait! I hear a phone ringing! Who's there?! Show yourself!"

Haibara and Namine exchanged concerned glances as the journalist gasped down the phone.

"What's going on?! Get away from me with those knives! Help! Someone help- AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

A hand went straight to Namine's mouth as the call suddenly cut itself off. Her eyes were wide with fright. Had Asou's assassins got to the journalist? The Professor shook his head in dismay.

"They got ahead of us. How did this happen? I thought I had everything planned out so well!"

He turned to Namine seriously, handing her back her phone.

"Namine, we're retreating back to the lab for now. As long as the 5th Report is safe, along with myself, I can leak this to the media anytime. Make sure no one is following us. Understand?"

Namine regained her composure as she put away her phone, nodding stiffly in response.

"Of course sir"

Namine quietly followed behind the Professor as the two left the University. She kept glancing back to stare at the crowds of people, just to make sure no one was following them. She sighed quietly.

(I wonder how Xion is coping with knowing the truth…)

* * *

I lay there silently on the bed within the room, staring up at the ceiling. I no longer felt like myself anymore. My mind was blank. I was turning into a shadow. The truth had been too much for me to bear. All along, the minute I read that 5th Report, I had discovered the truth. And yet I was too afraid to face it. I'm a clone of Kairi. I'm an empty shell, a pawn used by Ansem Haibara.

I suddenly became angry. I writhed around to get myself out of these ropes that were binding me.

"It isn't true! It can't be! It can't!"

I was screaming angrily at the ceiling.

"I have a… a family of three. My father… Me and my sister… Yes. My sister…"

I continued to kick and wriggle around out of rage.

"I'm Xion Kamijo! My sister goes to Mikozuka Lab at Teito Institute for Technology! It's a graduate school for under 18's! She'd call me every day to tell me how she was getting on! But…"

My hands clenched into fists.

"She stopped calling… Everyone in that lab lied… They lied! She does exist! She's real! She's real!"

I stopped moving around then, and closed my eyes tightly. What was wrong with me?

I counted to ten in my head, and slowly opened my eyes again. I need to clear my thoughts.

I have a scar on my head. When I had that car accident, I whacked my head off the seat in front of me. I thought the scar came from that. But it matches with what Namine told me. I had an operation to embed the chip into my brain. The scar must be from that… But why can I not accept the truth? Was Namine right? Am I too attached to the memories that I have now?

I flinched suddenly however as a memory suddenly came back to me. Our Father was always busy, so I never saw him much. But my sister was always there for me when I needed her. And yet, this memory that I was seeing… It was a memory I don't remember having, but… It was replacing the one I have always known.

* * *

_Flashback…_

I was lying on the floor back at our home. I'm fourteen here. I was curled up into a ball on the floor of my room, whimpering and crying.

Why was I crying again? I couldn't remember, but it had involved the man I had just spoken to. "Professor Haibara" is what he was addressed as. He'd just shouted at me, calling me random names I didn't understand because I'd messed up my handwriting. He had left a short while ago on another "business trip" as he called it. I never knew where he'd run off to. I rarely ever saw "Professor Haibara", which is a good thing. I don't like him. He yells too much.

I tensed however when I heard familiar footsteps approach my bedroom door. I quietened down with my sobbing and looked up slightly to see the door open slowly. I calmed down a little when I saw who it was. It was Professor Haibara's assistant. I forgot her name again… Was it… Namine? She's nice to me. I prefer to be around her more than Professor Haibara.

I hid my face with my hair as Namine slowly walked into the room and knelt down beside me on the floor. I felt a hand gently pat the side of my head.

"Don't worry about Professor Haibara, Xion. He's not in a very good mood today. He didn't mean what he said to you"

Xion… That is what I had been called. Namine gave me that name. She said it suited me perfectly. I had no idea what she meant by that.

I sniffled and looked up at Namine's face. Namine didn't seem angry. In fact, she was smiling at me like she usually does. I blinked a few times to clear my blurry vision.

"B-But I made a mistake, didn't I?"

I was confused. The only time Professor Haibara yelled at me was when I did something wrong. He hated when I didn't get it right.

Namine carefully wrapped an arm around my shoulders.

"You did Xion, but Professor Haibara shouldn't have yelled at you. Making mistakes is the only way we learn to do things right in the first place, so don't worry. It isn't a bad thing. I make mistakes all the time. It's a natural human instinct"

I carefully sat up then as Namine gently pulled me into a hug, after wiping my eyes with her jumper sleeve of course. I buried my face into her shoulder.

"So, I'm not in trouble…?"

My voice was muffled by her shoulder.

"No Xion, you're not. Don't worry"

She carefully helped me stand up again, and took me by the hand. She gently led me into the living room.

"Come on. We'll give the writing a break for now. You can always try again later"

_End of Flashback…_

* * *

Wasn't that memory when I fell whilst trying to get something off the shelf in my room? That's why I was crying, right? But then why was Namine there? That was supposed to be my sister. And my Father never shouted at me. He wasn't even there. And neither was Professor Haibara.

Was I… Was I remembering things over the chip's data? I wasn't sure. Let me try and think of something else…

Oh! What about the day I got that drawing off my sister?

This memory always makes me laugh. On the night of Christmas Eve, since our Father wasn't home, she pretended to be Santa Clause. She waited until I was asleep in my room, before tip-toeing in there and trying to place the drawing she had made me on my bedside table. She knelt on my hand by accident when leaning over my bed, and I woke up. This frightened her and she tumbled off the bed. The two of us sat up at the same and looked at each other, before laughing heartily. I remember after that she said to me, "I thought you still believed in Santa, Xion!".

That memory was still the same. But wait… That drawing… That drawing was real, wasn't it? I got that gift from my sister. So, that memory can't be fake, right? All my others might be, except the one I remembered of me and Namine, but the one with the teddy bear drawing can't be!

I have to get out of here. This memory had suddenly given me determination. I'm not going to die at the hands of the Professor! But how could I get out of these ropes…?

Then I remembered Namine had left the spare key for my sister's apartment on the chair beside the bed. I can cut it with that!

I clumsily forced myself to roll off the bed, knocking the chair over as I went. I landed on my knees on the floor, and managed to use my feet to kick the key towards my left hand. From there I grabbed it and proceeded to try to cut the rope with the key.

It took a while, but after loosening most of the ropes I managed to break myself out of it. I clumsily stood up. My head was still spinning a bit from earlier, but I ignored it. I'm not allowing Haibara to get away with this!

I quickly dashed towards the door and tried to yank it open with the handle, but I remembered that Namine had locked the door from the other side. Drat!

Wait! I have a hairpin in my hair! I can use that!

After retrieving the hairpin I proceeded to pick the lock open. Grabbing my bag from beside the bed, I dashed out of the hospital room and out of the building.

However, once I had reached the entrance, I froze in horror. There was a familiar person wandering across the campus of the University.

(I-Isa Crescent?!)

Frightened, I quickly backed up and dashed back down towards the room. The corridors around the hospital seemed abandoned at this time anyway. I was sure that Isa saw me when I ran back into the hospital, but I didn't care.

I slammed the door shut and breathed heavily, gripping the strap of my bag tightly. N-Namine shot him in the basement, right? I was seeing things, right? I saw him dead. Namine did too. First Larxene, and now Isa?

I placed a hand to my head confused. What was going on? Why wasn't he…?

For some reason, seeing Isa suddenly made me snap back to reality. I stared down at my hands. I completely forgot about Isa for a moment.

"I'm Xion Kamijo. I'm a clone of Kairi Kamijo. I'm the daughter of Professor Mikozuka. He is a brilliant researcher of IHDS. That was integrated human development study. Kairi was killed trying to prosecute the lab two years ago, but she left behind the 5th Report. It was her thesis where she wrote about her guilt and her own research into this lab. She took precautions to ensure it couldn't be erased, and only she could access it. So the report could only be obtained through Kairi Kamijo's will to know the truth. And that was why I was created..."

I slowly walked towards the bed and sat down on it, carefully placing my bag beside my feet.

"But there is no way that Namine planned all my memories. I'm sure now from what I just saw that Namine based those memories off real life events. But every time I try to recall them, they come out the same as they did originally because of the chip. I've unlocked new memories though, and they are slowly starting to replace the fake ones…"

And yet, these fake memories had given me encouragement. They might not be real, but all of them are happy memories. I have no negative ones. Why didn't Namine give me any negative memories? They supported me through this whole mission. Whenever I was frightened or scared, these memories gave me encouragement to push forward.

My eyes fell down towards my bag however. I slowly opened it and pulled out the drawing of the teddy bear that my sister had given me. Why do I have this again…?

And then it clicked. I know now! I know why! My sister… She's…

* * *

Namine and Professor Haibara had headed back to the lab as quickly as they could without being followed; however, there was someone already waiting for them in front of the gates. The two froze in their tracks when they approached them as they laid their eyes upon the blue haired student. Namine's eyes widened in horror.

"I-Isa?! N-No! W-Why are you…?"

She couldn't speak. She was confused.

(I shot Isa down in the basement… I'm sure I did… How is he alive?!)

Isa said nothing in response. He only smirked. Haibara began to piece the two things together.

"So, you killed the journalist Mr Crescent. Hmph! You'll regret interfering with this…"

He turned to Namine.

"Namine, shoot him down"

Nodding uneasily, Namine searched through her bag and pulled out a small pistol. This was the pistol she had used to kill Larxene and Isa before. Her hands however were trembling. Her grip on the gun was weak as she aimed it at Isa's forehead. She couldn't do it, not again. It felt wrong.

The Professor became impatient.

"Now Namine! Shoot him!"

A gunshot echoed soon after. Namine stared on in horror as Isa slowly fell backwards and landed on the ground. A small pool of blood began to form underneath him from the blood trickling down his forehead. He hadn't made a single sound. Namine swallowed quietly.

(I don't want to kill any more people. Why must I do this? I'm not protecting Xion, and yet I still obey orders. Why? Why can't this stop? Why does the Professor insist that I kill?)

Haibara smirked down at the body before him.

"Huh, that was easy. Stupid boy didn't even put up a fight. I thought you said you killed him in the basement, Namine…"

Namine's gaze fell towards the floor as she brought the gun down. Haibara glanced down at her coldly.

"If you had finished him off like I ordered you to in the first place, we wouldn't be having these problems. You've brought this upon yourself. You didn't even kill Miss Mizukoshi either, did you? I've seen her walking around the lab recently"

Namine felt ashamed. She didn't meet her teacher's gaze. The Professor scoffed and looked towards the lab again.

"So they were the ones who served under Asou as his assassins and snuck into the lab… Tch, now it makes sense. You need to learn to stop being careless, Namine"

Namine glanced up then, and her eyes widened in horror as she glanced behind her teacher. She was in shock.

"P-Professor Haibara! Behind you!"

Haibara looked in the direction Namine was to find Isa stood there again, holding two knives this time in either hand. Haibara stumbled back out of shock, gasping. The CD-ROM fell out of his pocket and landed by Namine's foot, but he failed to notice this. He was too frightened by what he was seeing.

"W-What?! I-Impossible! Why are there so many of you?!"

That was when it clicked for Namine. She knew now.

"S-Sir… I-I think they're clones…"

Haibara stared at Namine in surprise.

"Clones?"

"Yes. I-I think these clones were created by Asou to be his assassins. A-And they all are clones of Larxene and Isa…"

The two suddenly turned towards the gates upon hearing footsteps, only to find a swarm of clones heading their way. Each of them had a knife in hand. They either looked like Larxene or Isa. The Professor was back in front of Namine now. When he moved Namine saw the CD-ROM by her foot. She quickly picked it up and put it in her bag.

"I won't let these foolish clones get in the way! I still have the 5th Report! Namine, get rid of them! Now! That's an order!"

Namine held up the gun again, this time shooting almost immediately. However, nothing happened when she pulled the trigger. After pressing it a couple more times, she stared at the gun in horror.

(I-It's run out of bullets…)

Namine didn't know what to do now. She was frozen with fear. She had to get away. She couldn't stay here with the 5th Report. Haibara, still staring the group of clones down, growled angrily. He hadn't realised the situation.

"I said shoot them Namine!"

His eyes widened when he heard the gun drop to the floor. He quickly looked behind him to find Namine slowly backing away.

"I-I'm sorry sir… But I can't… There are no bullets left in the gun…"

As the clones got closer, Namine quickly turned around and dashed off as fast as she could. Haibara stared after her horrified.

"Namine! Get back- GAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Namine didn't turn around or stop running. She knew the Professor wasn't going to make it. He'd been stabbed. But she couldn't let the clones get away with the 5th Report! She had to protect it, for Kairi's sake. She couldn't protect the Professor anyway, and he chose not to follow her. It was his own fault.

* * *

Namine ran as far as the University campus before stopping to take a rest by the fountain. She breathed heavily as a hand gripped her bag strap tightly. She had gotten far enough to escape the clones for a small while.

(Isa… You were a clone all this time, and so was Larxene. There were more of you. The ones who I shot were fakes. They were all born from the same genes. They must have come from the experiment Asou did all those years ago. He's still going through with it. That's why Sora's research was needed. I should have known…)

Namine stared at her bag sadly.

(It's too late… We've lost. Asou got ahead of us. And it's my fault. I was too careless. And because of it, the Professor is…)

Namine glanced behind her then as she heard the sound of maniac like laughter. A tingle went down her spine.

(They'll find me soon. What do I do? I still have the 5th Report, but… Where do I go?)

Her gaze fell back towards the hospital.

(I have no choice. I'll retreat to the hospital room. They don't know about that place yet. I'll be safe there. I can sort out my thoughts, and then try and work something out)

Without a second thought, Namine charged back towards the hospital as fast as she could go.


	10. Chapter 10: Sacrifice

**This chapter took quite a while to do. But we're reaching the final chapter of the story now. What will happen now? Read on to find out.**

**But thanks again to everyone who has been favouriting, following, and reviewing this story.**

* * *

Chapter 10: Sacrifice

I jumped when I heard the sound of footsteps charging down the corridor. I bit my lip, thinking it was Isa. However, I was relieved to see Namine dash through the door when it swung open violently. She seemed frightened though. She slammed the door shut, resting her forehead on the wood and panting heavily. Her hand stayed on the door.

"P-Professor Haibara… He was killed… W-We've lost…"

My eyes widened slightly in horror. He's… dead? I watched as Namine slowly sank to her knees, trembling horridly.

"Asou might not know about this place yet, but we've still lost. I lost m-my friends because of this!"

Namine looked like she was about to cry. I frowned worriedly. I wanted to do something to help, but I figured I wouldn't be too helpful.

"I-I'm sorry Kairi… I'm sorry Lea… And Riku… I tried everything I could, and screwed up! I-I'm so sorry…"

Namine's gaze seemed to fall onto her school bag. Moving her hand off the door, Namine rummaged through her bag and took out my CD-ROM. Her eyes began to fill with tears.

"I lost my friends over this stupid thesis!"

She angrily threw the CD-ROM across the room. I watched silently as it landed beside my foot unscathed. My gaze went back to Namine. Her hands were in her lap now. Her head was hung towards the floor sadly. Her hair completely covered her face. She was still trembling horridly.

As Namine said, she'd only done this for Kairi's sake. And now, everything had just gone down the drain. But why was she blaming herself? Professor Haibara should be the one to blame, right? It was his fault. He didn't plan this out well at all. But who I am to judge? I'm a pawn to him anyway. But I guess I should try and distract Namine from the current topic. I need to confirm something before I voice my findings. And if you don't know what I'm talking about, you'll find out soon enough.

I slowly stood up off the bed with the drawing still clutched tightly in my hands. I cautiously walked to Namine until I was stood behind her.

"Namine, I have a question. My sister doesn't exist, right?"

At that Namine angrily stood up and glared at me horridly. I was prepared for this, and backed up a little in advance. She hadn't started crying yet.

"No! No! She doesn't exist! You've been told over and over again! Why do you keep asking me Xion?!"

I watched as she began taking deep breaths. There was fire in her eyes. This whole plan failure seemed to be annoying her.

I slowly held up the drawing, turning it around so that she could see the picture.

"If that's the case, then why do I have this hand-drawn picture? A picture that was given to me as a present from my sister"

Namine's eyes widened at the drawing. She seemed astonished at first.

"…. Y-You still… have that?"

After a short silence, Namine scoffed then. Her expression was neutral.

"I can't believe you kept that after all this time…"

She stared at me horridly.

"I'm only going to say this one last time, so listen well Xion. That drawing that you have wasn't from "your sister". I drew it. Okay? It was me! I needed something realistic enough to give to you in order to help prove your memories were real! Do you understand now?! Will you stop asking me about "your sister"?!"

Yep. I was right. I gave her a small smile.

"I knew it. I mean, it was obvious. You carry that sketchbook around with you everywhere"

Namine stared at me confused.

"W-What are you talking about now?"

I turned the drawing back to face me, staring at it carefully.

"I can remember when you first gave me this…"

Namine slowly started shaking her head. She was in shock. That I could clearly see.

"T-That's not possible. The chip erased those memories. There is no way you…"

I looked up at Namine, giving her a small smile.

"But I do remember. I was in this room, trying to fall asleep. I heard the door click, and so I ducked under the quilt thinking it was Professor Haibara. But it wasn't. It was you. I watched you from under the quilt as you approached my bed with this in your hand. You went to leave it on the chair beside the bed; however you spotted me looking at you from under the blankets. You shrieked out of fright and fell backwards. I quickly sat up and became concerned when you landed on the floor on your back, but I was surprised. You weren't in pain. You were laughing…-"

Namine couldn't seem to believe what I was saying. She seemed absolutely speechless. I chuckled a little.

"-And that was when you gave me the drawing. I remember you telling me, "Xion, I know you're nervous about your operation tomorrow. But don't worry. Everything will be fine. I made this drawing in order to keep you happy. That way, the operation won't be too bad for you". That is what you said, isn't it?"

Silence fell in between us as Namine stared at my face with curiosity, almost as if she was trying to read my mind.

"Y-Yes, but… This is impossible. How have you remembered those memories?"

She placed a hand to her forehead.

"This is hurting my head…"

I slowly shook my head, smiling warmly.

"Don't you see, Namine? I shouldn't remember, but I have. I have because the memories you created were based off events that occurred while I was with you and Professor Haibara. They were all happy memories, memories that you thought were positive and comforting. Memories that you thought were in encouraging"

I slowly took a step towards her.

"But these memories have shown that my sister _does_ exist. She has been real all along"

At that, Namine became annoyed again. She sighed heavily and removed her hand from her forehead.

"Xion, for the final time, your-"

I quickly pulled her into a small hug. I felt Namine tense up. Her back stiffened. She cut her sentence off out of shock.

"_You're_ my sister, Namine. The girl who you based "my sister" off was you, because you cared about me, didn't you? Despite the fact I look like Kairi, and that my purpose was to be used as a pawn, you still cared. You gave me memories to help give me encouragement and to keep me happy, despite them being fake. And for that… I want to thank you"

Namine seemed to relax a little, but I could tell she was still in shock.

"Xion…"

Silence fell. After a few moments, I nearly jumped when I felt Namine hug me back tightly. I could feel her face buried into my shoulder. Muffled sobs began to fill the silence surrounding us. I hugged Namine a bit tighter, trying my best to comfort her.

The sound of a mobile phone ringing broke the silence. I quickly moved away from her as Namine pulled the phone out of her bag, quietening her sobs. I watched her stare at it for a moment in silence as she used one hand to wipe away her tears, before answering it. She put the phone to her ear. Her eyes were still a bit teared up.

"Hello? … Yes, I am. … I see. So, you're the journalist's assistant? …. Professor Haibara won't be able to, but I shall come in his stead. … Yes, I'll meet you by the pond in the park. I'll be there momentarily"

I watched as Namine quickly cut off the call, tossing her phone into her bag. She stared at me with a blank expression. She had managed to control her tone, and keep it normal. It was as if she never cried.

"Since you're still my responsibility in the stead of the Professor, I'm letting you go. Get away from here as soon as you can Xion. Understand?"

"But Namine-"

She placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Asou is still looking for you. You need to run while you can. It's not safe for you here. I have some unfinished business to take care of"

And with that, Namine quickly left the room with a determined look on her face. I stared after her for a moment longer confused. Where was she going? Was she going to hand in the 5th Report to whoever was on the phone?

As I walked back towards my bag, I noticed something was stuck to the front of the CD-ROM on the floor. Confused, I slowly walked over to it and yanked it off. It appeared to be a note. I carefully unfolded it and started to read it:

_Dear Xion, _

_I know you're finding it hard to accept the truth about who you really are. But I can tell you this: You might be a clone of Kairi, but you have lived your life and formed your own personality. You are your own person. Professor Haibara may have treated you nothing more than a guinea pig, but… I saw you as a normal human being. Like Kairi, you were my family. _

_Please don't worry about how you were born, and what you are. It's your life. You have a right to decide your actions, and so you should live it happily. I'm sorry Xion for what I've put you through. You… You were stronger than I ever thought you'd be. I know you can overcome your fate._

_I leave the decision up to you. Kairi's thesis is in good hands now. You decide what should be done with it. I hope that you will continue to live a happy life, my… my dear sister._

_~Namine_

My eyes widened at the letter. N-No way! So that means…

I glanced down at the CD-ROM still on the floor. Namine… I've got to stop her!

Without thinking I quickly picked up the CD-ROM, shoved it into my bag, hooked my bag over my shoulder and dashed out of the room as fast as I could. I have to get to Namine before it's too late!

I ran out of the hospital and off the University campus. The park is just a little way down the road. It was right next to the lab. If I run fast enough, I should get there in time, right? I have to! I can't let Namine be so careless! She doesn't know what she's doing!

* * *

I dashed into the park and past numerous crowds of people who were staring at me weirdly. They thought I'd gone insane. But I didn't care. I wasn't going to let her do this. Why did she leave me the real CD-ROM when she made a promise to Kairi? She swore along with Riku and Lea that she would get that thesis known to the public! It's not my duty to do that! She needs to do it too!

I ran to the hill over-looking the pond just as I heard a gunshot fire. It echoed around the whole area I was in. Oh no… Please, please don't be…

I ran to the top of the hill and glanced down with widened eyes. There was Namine, lying in her own pool of blood on her side. I began to tremble horridly. N-No… I-I was too late…

But that wasn't the odd part. When I glanced beside her I got the biggest shock of my life. The person curled up in a foetal position beside her was… Isa?!

He was lying lifeless beside Namine in a pool of blood underneath his head. All of a sudden another Isa appeared out of nowhere and ran to Namine's side. He rummaged through her bag and pulled out the fake CD-ROM. I watched as he dashed off, only to suddenly see another Isa come dashing out from behind the trees holding a gun. This Isa was different however. Unlike the others, who had all been wearing jumpers, he was wearing his school shirt only. I watched as he cursed under his breath and stared after the Isa that just ran away.

"Damn you Asou!"

He paused however when he glanced up in my direction. I became frightened and started to back away; however he stared at me seriously, just like he always would when I greeted him.

"And so we meet again, Miss Kamijo. It almost seems like fate has wanted us to cross paths again"

I stared at Isa confused. He spoke like he knew me. But why are there two Isa's here right now? I have no idea what is going on. And yet he's speaking like he did whenever I spoke to him.

I watched as Isa turned towards Namine lying on the ground.

"Do not worry about White. She is alive. She has merely fainted from loss of blood. And as for my clone… Well, I am sorry to say he is no longer alive"

I cautiously made my way down towards Isa. I was relieved to hear that Namine wasn't badly hurt, but I was confused. A clone of Isa? I frowned at him.

"What's going on? Why is there more than one of you?"

Isa folded his arms, sighing heavily.

"You do not believe that I am the Isa who you saw in the lab, do you Miss Kamijo? I did not die in the basement. That again was another one of my clones. Kairi wasn't the only one who was cloned. And besides, I'm shocked you have not worked out my real name yet…"

I frowned.

"Your real name?"

He nodded.

"What do you think the letters "I" "S" and "A" stand for, hm?"

I scratched the back of my head in thought for a moment. What did he mean? His name represented something?

"…_There was a record that they made however, detailing the children who were born from the same gene. I found one other clone besides Ienzo and I on that list, but they were only recorded by a number as a name…"_

Wait! I think I get it! The letters represent numbers. So…

"1… 5… 8… 158! You're the…!"

Isa gave me a small smirk.

"Precisely. I'm the third clone who survived the experiments all those years ago. I was raised by Asou as a spy to keep an eye on the inhabitants of the lab, hence why my name represents numbers. It was a code Asou could use to identify me from my brethren. I am the original of all my clones…"

He sighed heavily then.

"I did not agree with what he was doing. The way I was being treated made me feel like I was nothing. He saw me as nothing more than what Professor Haibara saw you as: A mere puppet. Lea however…"

Isa closed his eyes.

"Lea Hikari was the closest thing I had as a friend. He treated me like I was a real person, even though he knew nothing about what I really was. He was the only one who was the same age as me in that lab. When I arrived there for the first time, he was the one I grew close to. But when he died right before my eyes, I blamed Asou for this horrid fate of mine. I was shocked, along with the rest of you, when he jumped from the roof. And so the only reason I was trying to get to the bottom of what was going on in the lab, was so I could help you Miss Kamijo… I want to get revenge for Lea"

He folded his arms.

"I knew what you really were, but I wanted answers as to why Lea helped you. That is why I questioned White on the matter. However, we both grew suspicious of each other. She suspected I was with Asou, while I suspected she was with Haibara. I followed her as she followed you to keep my eye on her. And just now, she made me realise why Lea committed suicide. He couldn't bear the guilt of not helping Kairi when she was killed…"

I was shocked that Isa had said this. He was trying to help all along. I doubted him all this time. I feel horrible. And I could tell he seemed to care for Lea. He only addressed Lea by his first name, and obviously Kairi to distinguish her from me. I frowned worriedly at Isa.

"Isa, I-"

The two of us jumped suddenly as the sound of a phone rang around the area. It was coming from Namine's bag. I glanced at Isa hesitantly as he slowly approached her bag and rummaged through it.

"I have a feeling I know who is trying to contact White…"

He carefully took out the phone and walked back over to me, putting the phone on speaker so we both could hear. He raised an eyebrow at the screen however.

"Well, this isn't who I expected at all…"

"What are you doing? It's time to fight. You are surrounded in the campus. If you run away, they will catch you. Go to the lab!"

The call suddenly cut off. Isa chuckled.

"Well, well, it seems White left you a voice mail, Miss Kamijo. She must have thought her life would end and that you would come right to her body"

I glanced down at Namine with worry. I cannot believe Namine would do such a thing just to help me…

"Will she live?"

"Her injuries aren't serious. She suffered two stab wounds to her left arm. My clones seem to have terrible aim… I can patch up those injuries easily, but she's right Miss Kamijo. You need to head to the lab. Well, that's if you still want to prosecute Asou…"

I glanced down towards the CD-ROM inside my bag. We still have a shot at this. I should listen to Namine. The campus is surrounded by Asou's assassins. If I try to leave, they could end up getting the 5th Report because of my carelessness. I gave Isa a stiff nod.

"I'll go. Please take good care of Namine"

Isa gave a small nod.

"I can assure you, she is in safe hands. Now go, Miss Kamijo. And… Good luck"

He gave me a quick pat on the head before walking towards Namine and picking her up into his arms. I frowned then.

"W-Wait, Isa! How do I get to the lab if the whole of the University campus is surrounded by Asou's assassins?"

Isa turned towards the left and pointed towards the fence.

"Ienzo thought ahead with this plan and made a hole in the fence that leads behind the lab. You can use that as a short cut. The park is at the back of the lab anyway, and that is the last place Asou would think to search for you"

"Thank you Isa"

I quickly dashed away from the pond, following Isa's instructions. I have to end this once and for all. I must save everyone from their cursed fates.

"And Miss Kamijo-!"

I quickly halted and glanced back at Isa.

"-When you get to the lab, head for Professor Mikozuka's Office!"

I blinked in surprise.

"Why?"

"I can't say. You need to find out for yourself. But make sure you go there if you get inside the lab. Don't go anywhere else. Asou's assassins are hiding in all of the rooms, searching for you. Be careful"

I nodded stiffly.

"Okay. Thank you Isa! Good luck!"

"You too, Miss Kamijo"

I quickly turned back around and charged towards the lab. I have to end this for everyone's sake. Don't worry Kairi. For your sake and everyone else's, I will reveal the nightmare that is Mikozuka Lab for the public to see. I will take down Asou!

* * *

Isa calmly walked away from the pond with Namine in his arms as Xion dashed away. He had Namine's bag hooked over his shoulder. He had decided to move away from the area in case the rest of Asou's assassins came looking for them.

As he headed towards a quiet area within the park underneath a large tree, Isa took a glance down at Namine. Her current expression seemed so peaceful. His eyes travelled down to her left arm. It was coated in blood. He realised that needed to be cleaned up once he'd patched up her wound.

Having reached the tree, Isa carefully knelt underneath it and laid Namine down on the ground on her back, resting her head on his knees. He removed her schoolbag from his shoulder and placed it beside him. Isa continued to stare down at Namine's face for a moment.

"Hmph. And to think you did all of this just to defend a puppet of your friend… You astonish me sometimes, White"

As he searched through her bag for bandages, Namine stirred a little. Isa paused for a brief moment as her eyes slowly fluttered open. Namine groaned, blinking a few times and wincing at the light suddenly flooding into her eyes.

"Ugh… W-Where…?"

Isa chuckled a little, causing Namine's eyes to widen at how familiar it sounded.

"Nice to finally see you awake, White"

She immediately sat up, turning her head to face Isa in surprise.

"I-I…"

She quickly shook her head.

"No… I keep forgetting you're just another clone"

Isa smirked at that.

"Are you so sure about that White?"

Namine only frowned at Isa confused as he continued to speak.

"Kairi told you everything she wrote in that thesis, did she not? So surely you should know about the third clone who survived that experiment"

Namine frowned in thought then.

"Clone 158…?"

Then it clicked. Namine stared at Isa in shock as he smirked at her.

"Y-You're… No way"

"Yes. I am clone 158"

Namine winced in pain then and glanced down at her injured arm. She remembered what had happened beforehand.

"… Why am I not dead? I-I thought…"

"My clones have a terrible aim. You are lucky. It seems fate is not ready for you to leave this world just yet"

Namine stared at Isa in confusion as he continued to search for the bandages in her bag.

"What do you mean?"

After finally locating said bandages, Isa slowly lifted up his head and stared at Namine seriously.

"You, Dawn and Hikari swore you would help Kairi, did you not?"

Namine's eyes closed then as her head slowly fell to the ground.

"W-We did, but-"

"So your role hasn't ended just yet. Hikari and Dawn have played their parts, but you must finish yours. You don't expect Miss Kamijo to do your bidding, now do you?"

Namine opened her eyes and stared at the ground silently. She said nothing as Isa gently grabbed her injured arm in order to keep it still. He slowly began wrapping the bandage around her wounds tightly in order to stop the bleeding.

"Did Xion…?"

Namine couldn't finish her sentence. She muttered it, but Isa still picked up what she said. He nodded stiffly.

"Yes, she saw what happened to you. She's made her choice"

Namine looked up a little at Isa then.

"So, she's chosen to take down Asou?"

"She has"

Namine glanced away again as Isa finally finished bandaging up her arm. She chuckled softly. Isa raised an eyebrow at her in confusion.

"What's so funny, White?"

Namine smiled slightly as Isa let go of her arm. Her gaze flitted towards her bandages for a moment.

"She has the same will and determination as Kairi had. It's no wonder she was able to open up the door and get to the thesis in the first place…"

She sighed heavily then however and slowly stood up. Isa stood up with her and handed back her bag, which she took from him gratefully.

"So what does that mean you are going to do? Are you going to finish what Kairi started?"

Determination lit up Namine's face as she turned to Isa and nodded stiffly.

"I will. I'm going to avenge everyone who has fallen prey to that lab. I should have stopped Asou from hurting Kairi when I had the chance…"

Her hand clenched into a fist.

"But if Xion is willing to fight for something that doesn't concern her, then I'll aid her all the way. Kairi will get the vengeance she rightfully deserves"

A small smirk made its way onto Isa's face as he reached into his pocket. He pulled out a small gun and held it out to Namine. She stared at Isa in surprise.

"Then I'm right behind you, White. Let's finish this once and for all"

Namine's shock quickly disappeared as she took the gun from Isa.

"Thank you"

Isa looked towards the other end of the park.

"We had better follow the same path Miss Kamijo took in order to avoid being spotted. Just stay close behind me, and make no noise whatsoever"

Namine nodded in agreement as Isa started to run off. She was close behind him, checking the gun to see if they had any bullets. Sure enough, the gun had been reloaded. Yet as Namine stared at the gun, she realised it was the same one she'd dropped outside the lab. Her gaze then switched to Isa's face as they ran on across the park.

(Isa reloaded my gun for me. I guess I misjudged his actions after all. He really did care for Lea…)

* * *

I made sure I followed Isa's instructions, and sure enough I found the hole in the fence. I was surprised that it was big enough for me to fit through! It was quiet outside the back of the lab. I didn't like it very much at all. It wasn't helping my nerves.

I would be lying if I said I wasn't afraid. I was about to face the man behind the experiments at this lab, and the one responsible for the deaths of the students and clones involved. However, I wasn't going to back down. Kairi wants those people avenged. And since I am her clone, it is my responsibility to finish what she started for the sake of everyone who risked their lives to help me.

I quickly slid through the hole in the fence and took the long way around towards the main entrance, all the while having the CD-ROM clutched tightly in my hand. I couldn't see Ienzo around anywhere. I was beginning to worry. Had something happened to him?

When I reached the emergency exit however, a tall man with long silver hair entered my view. He had bright yellow eyes that could pierce through any soul he gazed into. He was wearing a grey business suit, along with a black tie and white shirt underneath.

It was Xemnas Asou. This was the man who had murdered Kairi, and forced Namine, Lea and Riku to swear to secrecy on their lives while at gunpoint. This is the man who had been hunting down Kairi's thesis in order to destroy it.

My eyes then fell upon the Isa clone beside him. He was holding out to Xemnas the fake CD-ROM that Namine had placed in her bag. I heard Xemnas chuckle.

"Excellent work. White has finally fallen prey to her deserved fate. I knew I should have killed those three troublesome children when I had the chance…"

He frowned suddenly however at the CD-ROM. He'd noticed something was wrong. Urgently, he snatched the CD-ROM from the clone's hand and quickly backhanded him across the face. The clone fell onto his back on the floor, staring at Xemnas with widened as the CD-ROM was thrown next to the right side of his face.

"You imbecile! This CD-ROM is fake! The thesis isn't here!"

He placed his hands to his head out of frustration.

"Haibara taught that little brat well… She set up her own death, just like Hikari and Dawn!"

Xemnas seemed to calm down then however. He placed a hand thoughtfully to his chin.

"But then that means White gave the CD-ROM to Kamijo's little clone. Where is she I wonder…"

That was my cue. Taking a deep breath in, I slowly but confidently walked towards Xemnas.

"Is this what you're after, Asou?"

Isa's clone stared at me in shock and quickly got to his feet, clumsily running away from the scene. I think he was trying to avoid the anger that Xemnas was about to unleash, if there was even going to be anyway…

Xemnas on the other hand slowly turned around to face me, greeting me with an amused smile.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Kairi Kamijo's clone. It's a pleasure to finally meet you in person"

I watched as he studied me carefully with his eyes.

"So you're the one who Haibara and White have been keeping from me for the last two years? It is true after all. I can sense you and Miss Kamijo have the same sense of will. You have the same genes of course"

His smile soon turned into an amused smirk.

"But you also have the same foolishness as she did"

I remained silent. All I did was narrow my eyes. Xemnas placed his hands behind his back.

"Haibara and White were very sneaky with their motives. White, Dawn and Hikari tricked me well. Yet I could tell by the looks in their eyes as the guns were placed to their temples, that they would break the allegiance that was forced upon them in the near future. And White was the first one to do so. I never would have guessed that Haibara would create a clone of Mikozuka's daughter, and then have someone else implant fake memories in order to convince the entire lab and myself that you were not connected to Kairi Kamijo in anyway. But I'm not a fool. Once Mikozuka alerted me that students had infiltrated the basement on the first floor, I knew Haibara had the 5th Report. My clones did well in keeping an eye on you and White while you were in the lab…"

He began to chuckle a little, staring towards the fake CD-ROM on the floor.

"But to think, I almost fell for White's little trick. Entrusting you with the real CD-ROM and using a fake one… Huh. What a child she is. And like Hikari and Dawn, she gave up her life in order to ensure Kairi Kamijo succeeded. Pathetic"

Xemnas slowly turned his gaze back to me then, giving me a comforting yet sinister smile.

"And from what I can see in your hand there, White _did_ give you the real one, didn't she? It's almost like the incident two years ago all over again. Kairi stood in that very spot you're standing in now, giving me the same look of determination and spitefulness. Sadly, she met her end because of her foolishness. She thought she could accuse me for the experiments and get away with it. Foolish girl…"

He outstretched his arms wide.

"And yet here we are again. The regret of Kairi's research has caused you to be stood here in front of me once again, Miss Kamijo"

I shook my head defiantly at that.

"That is not possible. The CD-ROM that I have in my hand could only be accessed through Kairi's will and determination. Kairi's research had nothing to do with having herself cloned!"

Xemnas smirked at my remark.

"And what point are you trying to make? It gave Haibara the incentive to create you, didn't it?"

My spare hand clenched into a fist as he shook his head.

"But of course, that no longer matters. With the research I have gathered from the previous experiments, and from the current student's research, I no longer care about the 5th Report. The cloning process can be expanded into cloning a lot of brilliant scientists with gene manipulation. From birth we can brainwash them to continue the research. Then, we can make more brilliant and intelligent humans that will be controlled by me"

"That's enough, Asou! Everyone is born with the right to be happy! No one will let you do something like that! It's inhumane! It's cruel!"

"No one will let me, hm? I am already doing so"

My eyes widened in horror as Asou suddenly took out a cell-phone like device. He spoke down the receiver.

"Xion Kamijo is within the facility. Kill her"

I froze as I heard footsteps slowly approaching the main entrance door from within the inside of the lab. What was going on?! What had Xemnas done?!

"Stop this Asou! Your plans are about to crumble!"

I glanced behind me to find Namine and Isa running from behind the lab. I was shocked.

"I-Isa?! Namine?!"

The two stood on either side of me as Xemnas narrowed his eyes towards them.

"158… So it is true. You have sided with the puppet after all. How unfortunate…"

Isa only snarled at his creator in response. Xemnas' gaze then switched to Namine, who was holding a gun tightly in both hands.

"And White, you survived that attack after all I see"

She glared at Asou in response.

"You need to teach your clones to have better aiming skills next time…"

Isa snorted at that, causing Xemnas' gaze to switch to him.

"What's so funny, 158?"

"That's _Isa _to you, Asou"

Xemnas blinked in surprise at him as Namine raised her gun higher, aiming at Xemnas' forehead.

"It's over Asou! Just admit defeat! Once the 5th Report reaches the public, there will be no hope left for you or this pathetic lab!"

Xemnas smirked as the footsteps I'd heard before got louder.

"You'll wish you'd taken those words back soon enough, White…"

The main entrance suddenly opened. My eyes widened in horror as a large swarm of Isa clones piled out of the lab, each one holding a set of two knives in either hand. I could also see Larxene amongst them all. It seemed she had also been cloned. So that explains why she appeared to be unhurt when I last saw her. Namine had shot down a clone.

Isa clenched his fists in anger as we were surrounded by the large swarm. Namine began to panic and looked around at the clones. Isa cursed under his breath.

"There are too many of them…"

Xemnas laughed at the three of us evilly as the clones began advancing with their weapons raised. Namine held the gun upright towards her chest.

"It's no good! There are too many of them! I won't be able to shoot them all in time!"

Isa shook his head solemnly.

"I guess this is where the three of us meet our end. Despite everything, we have still failed…"

"Wait! If you touch either Isa, Namine or Xion, I'll jump from the roof!"

Everyone turned at the sound of the voice towards the roof of the lab. The clones stopped in their tracks immediately, also turning to face the voice. Namine placed a hand to her mouth in horror.

"Roxas! What are you doing up there?!"

Sure enough, there was Roxas. He was standing on the roof of the lab. His jumper was around his waist, and I noticed his tie had been pulled halfway down his neck. I was relieved to see that he was alive after all. But then realised that he wouldn't be for long if he decided to jump…

"Roxas, get down from there!"

I was backing Namine up on this one. No one else was going to die because of me. Roxas shook his head defiantly.

"There's no time! Run! You three get out of here while you can!"

Xemnas growled angrily towards the roof.

"Mr Destiny, what do you think you're doing up there?!"

I noticed that the group of clones were distracted. Now was our chance. Isa grabbed my wrist however when I went to run off.

"Miss Kamijo. Head to Mikozuka's office. Hurry"

I turned to Namine who gave a stiff nod in agreement.

"We'll cover you. Just focus on getting to the second floor. And be careful"

"Thank you both"

After Isa let go of my wrist, I darted through the crowd of clones towards the lab as fast as and quietly as I could. Roxas saw this and frowned in confusion.

"Xion! Where are you going?!"

Xemnas chuckled to himself as I ran by.

"The puppet has lost her mind… Clones, hunt her down! I want her dead!"

I looked back to find Namine and Isa had managed to escape from the circle of clones also. Isa looked up towards the roof as he ran.

"Destiny, get down from there! We need you here!"

I charged into the entrance of the lab and quickly shut the door behind me. It was now a race against time.


	11. Chapter 11: Regret

**And here we are. We are at the last chapter of this fanfic. The fate of the lab and Xion will be revealed in this final chapter. **

**Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, favourited, and followed this fanfic. I hope you enjoy the final chapter.**

* * *

Chapter 11: Regret

I dashed as fast as I could towards the stairs leading up to the second floor, yet I soon found that way blocked off. A swarm of Larxene clones came charging down the stairs. I changed my course quickly and went into the elevator, managing to close the doors before they reached it.

I sighed heavily in relief. That was too close. I need to get to the second floor quickly. And funnily enough, I never thought I'd use the elevator. Seems like I was wrong.

As I waited for the elevator to take me up to the second floor, I prepared myself to run as fast as I could towards the office. Knowing the clones, they would try to come back up the stairs again in order to block me off from the elevator. I only have one shot at this… I have to make sure I get it right. I was terrified, but I have to reach Professor Mikozuka's room. I can't let Namine, Isa and Roxas down!

The second I heard the elevator ding and the doors fly open, I charged out of the elevator. I had been right. Just as I turned down the corridor, the clones from the first floor came charging up after me. I was quick however to hide in a nearby lab, ducking underneath the bench.

I watched in silence as the clones began looking around for me frantically, with one of them briefly scanning the room I was in. I could feel my heart pounding against my rib cage. My palms became sweaty as my eyes stayed glued to the clone's face.

I held my breath as the group dashed off down the corridor. I waited until I could no longer hear their footsteps before slowly crawling out from underneath the bench, and letting out a small sigh of relief. I was still shaking horridly from that. I honestly thought they were going to find me!

I quickly looked down the corridor to make sure I was alone before stepping out again. I seem to have lost the clones. The corridor was quiet again, yet I could hear more movement from the first floor, and some on the third floor. On the third floor, there was occasional smashing and screeching coming from the clones. They seemed to be destroying something up there… But I have no time to be dwelling on that!

I cautiously made my way towards Professor Mikozuka's office. I was surprised to find that the door was slightly ajar. I took a deep breath as I readied myself to enter. Here goes nothing…

I quickly pushed the door open and dashed inside, gently pushing it shut behind me. I looked around the room, expecting to see Larxene standing there. Except, it wasn't Larxene. The person who was stood with his back to me at the other side of the room, was a man with long light blonde hair. He was wearing a white lab coat. He was the man I had seen running away from the lab before…

Upon hearing the door close, the man slowly turned around to face me. His green eyes widened slightly when he saw me. I think I know who this is… The two of us stood in silence as I blinked at him in surprise.

"Y-You're…"

He slowly nodded.

"Yes. I am Vexen Mikozuka, the head of Mikozuka Lab"

My spare hand clenched into a fist then. I never thought I'd come face to face with the head of this lab, but it seems I was wrong. I wasn't prepared for this, hence why I could feel my anger suddenly boil inside of me. You did not know how much I wanted to kill this man right now.

"You're the one behind the experiments!"

He nodded slowly again. I could see there was a hint of guilt in his expression, despite it being neutral.

"I am"

"And you're the one behind the murders of those test subjects, and Kairi, Lea, Riku and Sora!"

"Yes. But the only reason for that was because at the time, I thought it was necessary…"

I frowned at him in confusion as he continued with his explanation. His gaze turned to the floor slightly.

"Even though I lost my wife and my daughter, I tried to continue my research…"

My eyes widened slightly.

"W-Wife? Does that mean…?"

He nodded regretfully.

"Yes… Tamiko Kamijo was my wife. My wife whom I loved dearly... And even though I loved her, I still did those experiments on her. Not once did she complain, even though I could see her slowly growing weak from constantly giving birth. For you see, the achievements gained by Mikozuka Lab are not only used by Xemnas, but also by the official labs in each country. They use it for their development-"

He looked up at the ceiling then, almost in some sort of trance.

"-I believed that our studies would lead to great prosperity for mankind, but Tamiko denied it. And so did Kairi. And of course you… Xion-"

I was surprised he knew my name, but I didn't react. I continued to listen to what he had to say.

"-At that time, I didn't understand what my daughter and wife were trying to tell me…"

I watched as his gaze suddenly switched to an empty space in the room. At least, it seemed empty; however, he appeared to be staring at someone. Maybe in his mind, someone was standing there. I followed his gaze, and I didn't see anyone there. Maybe it was Tamiko, or even Kairi. Vexen sighed heavily.

"When I found out that Kairi was writing that 5th report, and that Lea, Riku and Namine were aiding her… I was so confused. I couldn't understand why Kairi and the other students wanted to go against this lab and its research. Since then, I didn't know what to do. All of this research that I had put my time and effort into, was about to be destroyed by your original and the other students here at the lab. Kairi… She was right. At the time, I left her and chose the lab when she tried to take Asou down. I couldn't resist him. And then she was shot down by one of Asou's assassins right before my very eyes…"

Vexen's expression became really regretful then.

"Asou then tried to go after those three and put them at gunpoint. I couldn't bear to watch. I was terrified, as were they…"

We were in silence for a small moment before Vexen decided to speak again.

"It was… ironic. Ever since I lost her- rather you- I learned how precious life really is. I understood the value of constructing a human life. The Integrated Human Development Study, that I devoted my life to… It is now worthless. It became worthless when I lost Kairi…"

Vexen gave a weak smile; however, there was more to his expression than what meets the eye. I could see a man who looked tired of his life, and had nothing left to live for. And it was within that analysis did I realise that Vexen was about to do something drastic to end this once and for all.

Vexen turned to face me then, holding out a small document towards my hand in a large brown envelope.

"Take this document with you. This is a statement of my accusations, along with my signature. This will uncover the secrets behind this lab. Hopefully, this should at least make up for what I have done…"

I carefully took the documents from his hand, staring at it curiously for a moment. This should be enough to back up Kairi's research.

"There is also some information I wrote about involving Asou's other cloning facilities. They are located in various places. There are still a number of Isa and Larxene clones that have been mind-controlled, which I believe you have already witnessed. They need to be released from these labs also"

He stared at me for a moment with a look of guilt on his face.

"Please don't resent those clones, Xion. I am sure you are aware that along with Kairi, Ienzo and Isa, they too were born amongst those lab experiments, with Asou expanding further on Isa's cloning… I want them to have pleasant lives. But I hope that no one is created through that method ever again. Even though they were born artificially, they have a right to be happy"

He placed a hand to his head, sighing heavily.

"I was so wrong for all of these years. I was too intoxicated by science, that I didn't see the consequences. I was unable to escape from Asou because of it. And in the end, I lost Tamiko and Kairi…"

The two of us jumped suddenly as footsteps suddenly began approaching the second floor corridor from both ends. I panicked and quickly shoved the CD-ROM and documents into my bag. Vexen frowned then, turning back to me.

"The clones will be here soon to try to kill you. They've worked out where you are. Quickly, you need to climb down the pipe from the window!"

Vexen quickly dashed to the other side of the room, with me following closely behind. He opened up the window above his desk and ushered me towards it, helping me climb up onto the desk and grab hold of the pipe as I stood on the windowsill. I turned back to him with concern.

"B-But what about you, Professor?"

He smiled weakly.

"Do not worry about me. I plan to blow this lab up. I will die along with it. You need to make sure you get away from the lab as quickly as possible. Ienzo is waiting for you by the entrance. You must hurry"

I stared at the Professor sadly for a moment before giving a stiff nod.

"I will. Thank you. And, I forgive you for what you've done. And I'm sure Kairi does too"

He stared at me in surprise for a moment before gently patting me on the head with one hand.

"Thank you, Xion. I'm sorry for making your life miserable. I hope you, Isa, Roxas, Namine and Ienzo will be able to live in peace once this is all over. Now go!"

Just as I leapt onto the pipe and was about to slide down, Vexen gasped.

"Oh! And one more thing!"

He quickly passed me three photographs out the window, which I managed to catch with my spare hand.

"If you do see Namine, Roxas and Isa, be sure to give those to them. I salvaged them from their rooms within the lab before the clones took over"

I nodded stiffly, giving him a small smile.

"I will. Goodbye Professor…"

My smile turned sad as I quickly slid down the pipe, and successfully landed on my feet at the bottom without getting hurt. I quickly shoved the pictures into my bag before running towards the main entrance. I have to warn those three before they get caught up in the explosion!

* * *

Roxas and Namine ended up falling into each other as Roxas tried to fend off one of the Larxene clones from stabbing him. He had recently joined Namine and Isa by taking the emergency exit down from the roof. The three had been standing in front of the lab entrance to try to fend off the clones from chasing after Xion; however, things were starting to look slim. A few of the clones had managed to get passed them while they were distracted by other clones. And not only that, the three of them were starting to grow tired.

Namine had run out of bullets within her gun a long time ago, so she had to substitute with knives that one of the clones had dropped. Isa and Roxas had been using their knives also, but they weren't effective weaponry. Unlike when Namine had used her gun, the knives weren't killing the clones instantly. They were leaving them terribly injured. And yet despite those injuries, the clones merely got up and continued to fight them.

Roxas managed to kick the Larxene clone away, but he was growing weary. Isa stood in front of Roxas and Namine protectively as the two fell down onto their knees weakly. The remaining clones surrounded them as Xemnas stood nearby, laughing at the three.

"It's no use. You three will finally meet your ends! It doesn't matter if you die! I can clone you all again! It'll be as if this never happened!"

The three frowned at Xemnas as the clones got closer. Isa sighed heavily.

"Well, looks like this is the end of the line…"

Roxas sighed.

"At least Xion will do this lab justice and get that 5th Report to the authorities…"

Namine slowly nodded in agreement with Roxas.

"We've played our part. And now it's time for that part to end…"

Xion suddenly came running behind the group a short distance away, flailing her arms around.

"Hey clones! Over here!"

They all stopped in their tracks suddenly and turned their heads to face Xion. While distracted, Isa helped Roxas and Namine up onto their feet again. The three managed to escape from the circle as the clones began to run towards Xion. Xemnas stared on in confusion as the four of them dashed towards the gates together, with the clones close behind. Roxas frowned at Xion confused.

"Why are we still running?"

"The lab's about to explode! We need to get as far away as possible!"

The three stared at Xion in shock as they ran.

"Wait, what?!" Roxas cried.

Before Xion could say anymore, a loud bang suddenly sounded behind them. The force of the explosion shoved the four of them forward harshly through the air. The group rolled along the ground as rubble from the lab went flying through the air. The four of them curled up into ball in order to protect themselves from the debris as it came by, yet Xion found herself feeling quite dizzy. Her consciousness was starting to grow thin.

And not just hers. Roxas and Namine were starting to feel a bit disorientated also. It seemed the three of them had hit their heads when they came crashing down onto the ground again. Isa managed to get onto his feet as he saw Ienzo approaching them. Isa was unharmed. Ienzo looked down at Roxas, Namine and Xion on the ground.

"Are they alright?"

Roxas finally felt his vision go black. He passed out first. Isa looked down at them as well, nodding slightly.

"I think so. They must have hit their heads when they fell…"

Namine's vision spun as she tried to fight back unconsciousness, but she soon ended up blacking out as well. Ienzo looked back towards the gates.

"The ambulance should be on their way. I had a feeling I would need to call them once the Professor did this…"

As Xion tried to glance up at Isa and Ienzo, she frowned slightly. She didn't know if she was hallucinating, but she thought she saw Riku, Sora and Lea standing beside the two, smiling and grinning down at her. With a small smile on her face, Xion allowed herself to fall unconscious as the sounds of sirens slowly began to get closer.

* * *

"Hey Roxas! I got the test results from that experiment!"

Roxas glanced up as he sorted through files to see Sora suddenly dash into the room, holding out a small piece of paper towards him. He had a big grin on his face. Roxas chuckled.

"You always get so excited over these things, don't you Sora?"

Sora rubbed the back of his head sheepishly as Roxas carefully took the document from him.

"Well then, let's see what we have here…"

Sora looked over Roxas' shoulder as he read the document in silence. After a moment or two, Sora stood in front of Roxas again.

"So, what do you think?"

Roxas placed a hand underneath his chin in thought as he frowned slightly at the document.

"Hm… There seems to be an error here in this data"

Sora sulked a little.

"So, it's not good?"

Roxas gave Sora a sad smile as he handed him back the document.

"I'm afraid not Sora. You're gonna have to do that all over again"

Sora pouted slightly as he took the document back.

"Okay…"

"But just in case, keep that. There might be some useful data we can use from it"

"Right. I'll be sure to do that"

Roxas raised an eyebrow at Sora's expression.

"Hey, you'll get the hang of it eventually! Don't worry! All scientists learn from trial and error, Sora!"

Sora smiled a little at that.

"Yeah. You're right Roxas! Thanks!"

Roxas chuckled a little as Sora ran off happily.

* * *

"Well Kairi, you've grasped the experiments quite well. I'm impressed"

Namine and Kairi were currently sat in Namine's room as she was typing their research up onto the computer. Kairi smiled brightly in reply.

"Well I couldn't have done it without your support! Although I keep screwing things up. The results are always the same. They don't come out any different. And so do the errors…"

Namine giggled a little at that.

"It's very rare to get good results on the first try, Kairi. Even I've had to repeat experiments at least three times before I find any progress"

Kairi leaned back in her chair boredly, staring up at the ceiling in awe.

"I never thought I'd find myself working in a University Laboratory, you know. But I guess this didn't turn out to be as bad as I thought it would it be"

Namine nodded slowly in agreement with that.

"Yeah, but I'm sure if you keep at it Kairi, you'll get better. You just have to wait and see!"

Kairi groaned at that and leaned further back in her chair.

"I know, but it's hard! It feels like I'm doing physical labour!"

"Yes, but what you're doing will benefit people in the near future. Use that as your incentive, and then the work load doesn't seem so bad"

Kairi slowly nodded in agreement with her.

"That's true…"

As Namine continued to type, her gaze turned to Kairi slightly.

"Trust me Kai. Other researchers around the world have been working just as hard as us. And because of what they've done, people's lives have been enriched. And the number of people who die from disease has decreased over the years. That just shows how much research can benefit society"

Kairi sat up straighter then with a determined aura around her.

"Yeah Namine, you're right! I feel like I should work harder now! I'll do my best to match the standards of the other researchers! Just you wait!"

* * *

"Hey Lea!"

Riku, who had been sitting on the edge of Lea's desk, along with Lea, who had been looking over some research he had recently done, looked up to see Roxas come dashing in with a piece of paper. Sora was close behind him. Lea looked up at two confused.

"Hey Roxas, Sora. What's the problem?"

Roxas handed him the data.

"Sora has tried this experiment again, and the results have come out the same. He wants to try to get it right, but we need someone else to analyse the data for us. Would you mind looking it over?"

Lea gave a grin as he took it carefully from Roxas' hand.

"Sure Roxas, sure. Riku, could you look over this as well? I may need a second opinion"

Riku gave a stiff nod and leaned over the paper slightly as the two looked over the results. Roxas and Sora waited patiently in silence as they did so. As they looked it over, Riku spoke up.

"Hopefully you two will be able to look this over using the analysis program. Well, once you get used to using it that is…"

"I still can't use it. It confuses me" Sora admitted, chuckling a little and rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

"Neither can I. It is really confusing" Roxas agreed.

Riku looked up at the two with a playful grin.

"Geez, how can you two still not understand it? Ah well. Once this experiment is over, I'll happily help you two learn how to. It's really simple once you get the hang of it!"

Sora grinned widely.

"Really? Oh, thanks Riku! You're a lifesaver!"

* * *

"Well Kai, you seem to be having a little too much fun there mixing up those chemicals…"

Kairi turned to face Riku with a playful frown.

"Are you saying I'm some kind of mad scientist, Riku?"

Namine tried not to laugh as Riku looked away slyly.

"Of course not…"

Lea shook his head at him.

"Honestly Kairi, lighten up! I think what Riku was trying to say was that you have the face of a true researcher"

Riku gave Lea a confused frown.

"Was I?"

At that, Kairi gave Riku a playful punch in the shoulder.

"Ow!"

Riku held his shoulder, pretending to act hurt. Kairi smirked at him and turned to Lea.

"Thank you Lea"

Eventually the four of them broke out into loud laughter.

"_Destiny, White! Wake up!"_

* * *

Roxas groaned loudly as he slowly opened his eyes. He found himself staring up at a white ceiling.

"Huh…? Where…?"

He jumped when he heard a small grunt beside him. Roxas turned his head slightly to see Namine was already sat up, holding a hand to her head. She was sat on a hospital bed. Roxas' eyes widened then.

(A-Are we in the hospital?! I remember running away from the lab, and then I fell because of the explosion…)

"It took you both long enough. I was wondering how hard you'd hit your heads"

Roxas finally managed to push himself up. He glanced up along with Namine to find Isa standing in between the two beds. Namine shook her head slightly.

"W-What happened…? How did we end up in here…?"

Isa folded his arms.

"You two and Miss Kamijo hit your heads off the ground when the explosion happened. The three of you fell unconscious and were brought here to the hospital"

Roxas suddenly looked around in panic. He couldn't see Xion anywhere.

"W-Where is Xion?! Is she-?"

"Yes Destiny, Miss Kamijo is fine. She's in another room with Ienzo"

Both Roxas and Namine let out a small sigh of relief; however Roxas frowned then.

(So wait… This entire time, I've been sleeping? So those flashbacks of Sora, Lea and Riku… Were they dreams?)

He shook his head slightly to get rid of the thoughts.

(I shouldn't be thinking about that right now…)

Namine frowned however.

"Did you say "Ienzo"? I thought he was still inside the lab when it…"

Isa slowly shook his head.

"No White, he wasn't. Ienzo had spoken to Professor Mikozuka before leaving the lab ahead of us. He found us shortly after the lab exploded"

Roxas tilted his head slightly to the side then as he leaned back against the bed pillows.

"The Professor was in the lab?"

"Sadly yes. He was in the room that Miss Kamijo went to. He went down along with the lab…"

Roxas hung his head sadly then.

"That's quite… sad"

Isa carefully sat down on the edge of Roxas' bed.

"But on the plus side, he gave Miss Kamijo a document with his signature on it. And that document backs up Kairi's 5th Report. Ienzo has recently submitted that to the police through a person from a conference. And-"

Isa suddenly paused as he turned towards the television.

"Oh look. It is already on the news…"

Confused, both Namine and Roxas turned towards the television as the anchor-man began talking.

"Recent evidence has been given to the authorities about secrets behind TIT University's special under 18 graduate Mikozuka Lab. In documents given to the police, there contained a report written by a student who went there along with a document that disclosed these facts, which was signed by Professor Vexen Mikozuka himself, the man in charge of this lab. There have been some doubts about the credibility of the content, but the evidence is highly objective. Accusations have been placed against Xemnas Asou, the former Ministry of Education at TIT University. Mr Asou's son has also testified in support of the evidence. The Police investigation team, along with prosecutors and the Science and Technology Agency, have declared that they will take immediate action and start investigating into this matter as soon as possible. It seems unlikely that Mr Asou will avoid a prison sentence…"

A big grin came onto Roxas' face as the anchor-man changed to a different news story.

"W-We did it… We won… We actually won!"

A small smile came onto Namine's face.

"Both Kairi's and Xion's courage and effort defeated Asou in the end. They finally put him in his place…"

Roxas' eyes widened then.

"Oh! Isa, what happened to the clones?"

Isa looked down at the bed sadly.

"A small group of them didn't make it, but the majority only suffered injuries. Other than that, quite a few of them are still alive. Since Asou has been arrested, they aren't being controlled anymore. They will be able to have a normal life"

Roxas sighed heavily in relief as he lay back further against his pillows.

"I am so glad this is all over…"

Isa slowly stood up then.

"The two of you should be allowed to leave soon. For now however, I suggest you both rest. You look like you need it"

Groaning, Roxas lay back down.

"Fine, whatever"

Namine said nothing in response to that. Instead, she silently watched as Isa left the room. Roxas turned his head towards her slightly.

"Hey Namine. There's something I've been meaning to ask you…"

Namine turned her head to face Roxas with a curious look.

"What is it?"

Roxas paused for a moment as he tried to phrase his question right inside his head.

"You know when you and I were arguing at the lab before Asou showed up, and you locked me in your room before going off to find Xion… Were you doing all of that to protect me from the truth?"

Namine blinked in surprise at Roxas' question. She had not expected him to ask that at all. Her gaze fell to the floor.

"It was partly because of that, yes… But also out of regret"

Roxas frowned slightly in confusion as Namine shifted her position on the hospital bed, lying down and staring up at the ceiling.

"I failed to protect Kairi when Asou's assassins shot her down on that day. And I knew that when Asou came to the lab, he was going to ensure that all students were killed. He wasn't aware, and neither was the Professor, of who knew the truth and who didn't. Well, except me of course… I failed to protect Sora when he protected Xion from Isa's clone. And when I saw that you were still alive, I couldn't bear the thought of failing to protect you either. I tried to stop you from knowing the truth, but by then it was too late. You already knew too much…"

As silence fell in between the two, Roxas stared at Namine with worry. He hadn't realised how much guilt she felt for what had happened to the others at the lab.

Roxas silently rolled onto his side so that he was facing Namine's bed, and reached out a hand towards hers. He placed his palm on the back of her hand, making Namine flinch slightly in surprise. She turned her head to Roxas with a confused frown as Roxas gave a shy smile in return.

"It wasn't too late. You still managed to protect me despite everything. And for that I say thank you, Namine"

Namine stared at Roxas in surprise. Did he really mean that?

"Roxas…"

Roxas' smile only widened a little at that.

"Don't worry about it anymore, okay? It's over. We won"

Despite her shock, Namine found herself smiling at Roxas' comment.

(Yes, we have. Kairi, Lea, Riku… You three can rest in peace now. We finally won…)

* * *

I slowly opened my eyes to find myself in a familiar looking room. I turned my head slightly to the side to see Ienzo sitting beside me. He gave me a small smile when he saw I was awake.

"How are you feeling?"

I slowly sat up and placed a hand to my head.

"I'm okay. I feel a bit groggy though…"

I slowly looked around the room.

"W-Where am I…?"

"You're in the University Hospital. You, Mr Destiny and Miss White hit your heads when the explosion happened. You were brought straight here"

My eyes widened then.

"Roxas? Namine? Are they alright?!"

Ienzo chuckled a little at my panicking.

"They're both fine. Mr Crescent went to check up on them. They aren't badly injured"

Then a sudden thought crossed my mind. The lab… I turned to Ienzo with a worried look.

"What happened to the lab?"

"The lab is no longer there. Besides Asou, and a few of the clones, no one survived the explosion. The lab is now only rubble"

I felt quite saddened then, but I knew Professor Mikozuka was in a better place now. He was happier and free of pain. That was all that mattered. But then another thought crossed my mind.

"And what about the 5th Report? And the Professor's document?"

Ienzo gave me a small grin.

"They were given to the police, and an investigation is currently underway. We've won, Miss Kamijo. You did it"

I felt my heart skip inside my chest. We won? They believe the 5th Report? A big grin came onto my face.

"We did it? We really won?"

Ienzo gave me a stiff nod in response. I wanted to jump up for joy. I can't believe it! Kairi, you did it! You exposed the lab's secrets and won!

"I'm relieved to hear that!"

"I can tell, Miss Kamijo. But we couldn't have gotten this far without yours and Kairi's will and determination"

I frowned then. Something had just crossed my mind.

"Hey, did you or Isa analyse the 5th Report further?"

Ienzo gave a small nod.

"I did. I analysed the CD-ROM; however, there was nothing else there besides Kairi's accusation statements, and of course the lab's past crimes"

I was confused. I thought Kairi had placed her research inside that 5th Report somewhere.

"So what happened to the IHDS research that Asou wanted?"

Ienzo sighed heavily.

"I am afraid I do not know. Either Kairi destroyed the research herself, or this research never existed in the first place… It's just my assumption, but… Maybe Kairi's true message was that there is no ultimate research for IHDS"

I took that into consideration before responding.

"I guess you might be right. I'm sure that is what she was trying to get across. But it does feel strange that it might not exist… Since the 5th Report was combined with this research, Xemnas couldn't erase the evidence that could be used to prosecute him. Kairi wouldn't make it up to prevent Xemnas from erasing the report. It's possible, but since she mentioned it in said report I think it might exist"

Ienzo rubbed the back of his head slightly in thought before slowly nodding.

"Yes. I have suspected the same thing. Kairi was a true scientist. It wasn't her style to make things up. I knew she was trying to research something, so it's strange that we haven't found anything. If it wasn't unsubstantial, then Asou and Haibara wouldn't have tried so hard to get the report in the first place. Whether the research was completed or not, it's difficult to think that Kairi, as clever as a researcher that she was, didn't leave anything behind"

It fell silent for a few moments, until I heard the door to the room open. Isa slowly walked in and stood beside the bed.

"It's nice to see you awake, Miss Kamijo"

I gave a small smile in return as Ienzo sat in silence, still thinking over our conversation.

"And I'm glad to see you're okay, Isa. You didn't get hurt, did you?"

He slowly shook his head, giving a small smirk.

"No. I am perfectly fine. I managed to escape unscathed"

Suddenly Ienzo perked up, making me jump a little.

"I just remembered something! I'm not sure how trustworthy it is, but there is something I heard about"

"What are you talking about?" Isa asked, raising an eyebrow. "Is it about the 5th Report again?"

Ienzo nodded slightly.

"Yes. It was from Kairi herself, about her research"

"Really?!" I pressed curiously.

This might help us work out this whole mystery. Ienzo nodded again.

"Yes, it really is. Although, when she said it, Kairi didn't seem very serious. It came across as more of a joke"

Ienzo took a deep breath before continuing.

"The research was about… Recurrence of a soul. Yes, it was the research on recurrence of a human soul"

Isa and I looked at each other in confusion.

"Recurrence of a soul?" I repeated, confused.

"Yes. It was a method for souls to stay in the world of the living, even after their death. Haha… It's interesting, isn't it? It certainly would be the ultimate research for IHDS, but that's just a joke. Dead people just return to the ground. It's just impossible…"

Ienzo nodded and began muttering to himself.

"Yes, just as I thought. Kairi's research never existed in the beginning…"

Isa and I only remained silent as I fell back into my thoughts. There are still unanswered questions here. All the clues that led me to "my sister" were created or manipulated by Namine. But when Namine was unconscious… That voicemail that came to her phone… Isa said it was Namine, but… Even though I believed him at the time, thinking back I realised that the voice _nearly _sounded like Namine.

So much had happened at that point that I was uncertain as to who it was. But now I realised that the voice was an act. Like when Namine changed her voice slightly for the answer phone message, this person had done the same to try to sound like Namine.

I was snapped out of my thoughts when I heard Isa sigh heavily beside me.

"I have always found it odd how researchers and scientists have started researching spiritual related things later in their lives. I honestly find it hard to believe they would perform research on such a thing…"

"Maybe it's because it can only be understood by someone with a very high IQ" Ienzo replied quietly.

Yet my thoughts were dragged back to what happened with the Professor. He was looking at a particular area in the room. He was talking to me, but he looked like he was staring at someone. Maybe… The voice and person was… It makes sense with Kairi's research, doesn't it? So that means-

"Apparently, the souls can be retained and interfere with this world"

Ienzo frowned a little at Isa.

"That sounds a bit farfetched, doesn't it?"

"Indeed it does"

I was still lost in thought when Isa turned in my direction.

"Are you alright, Miss Kamijo?"

I gave him a quick nod, snapping back to my senses.

"Y-Yes! I'm fine! Sorry. My mind wandered off a bit there… But I suppose you're right. Even though science has developed over the years, spiritualism can't be looked into. It's impossible"

"Hey Xi- Whoa!"

We all looked towards the door to find Roxas stumble in as if he'd seen something he shouldn't have. Namine awkwardly followed after him, raising an eyebrow in confusion. I sat up straighter on my bed, trying not to laugh as Ienzo raised an eyebrow.

"Are you okay there, Mr Destiny?"

Roxas straightened himself up again as Namine came and sat on the edge of my bed, giving a small nod.

"Y-Yeah Ienzo, I'm okay…! Sorry…"

He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. I raised an eyebrow at Roxas. I was glad to see both him and Namine were okay and that they had been allowed to leave their ward to come to me.

"What happened? Did you trip over your own two feet?"

Roxas quickly shook his head.

"No! I just thought I saw you leave the room to look for the nurses or something. I was shocked to find you still sat down. Weird, right?"

Namine blinked at him in confusion.

"That's why you stumbled? Roxas, there was no one there"

Roxas looked back at the door again as Isa came up behind him, gently patting his back.

"Someone obviously has not gotten enough rest"

As Roxas, Isa and Ienzo began to debate the matter of whether Roxas was tired or not, I glanced towards the door to see for myself. My eyes widened slightly when I saw the girl Roxas had been talking about in the doorway. Namine looked at me with concern.

"Xion, what's the-?"

Namine had followed my gaze as she was talking, suddenly halting mid-sentence as her eyes fell upon the doorway. She must have seen the girl too. The girl gave a small smile as I heard a quiet voice echo in my ear.

"Thank you, Xion, Namine…"

When the two of us blinked, she was gone. No one else but us had noticed she was there. Namine and I quickly glanced at each other in shock as we both said the name of the girl simultaneously. We knew who it was. It had been…

"Kairi…"

Her research… It was real after all…

* * *

**And so we can now draw the curtain on this fanfic. I hope you all have enjoyed reading this. Until next time... *bows* Sayonara.**


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